


Light Of The Sun and Moon

by Shade_Penn1



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Namikaze Minato Lives, One-Sided Relationship, Referenced Mpreg, Slow Build, Tags updated as story progresses, Yaoi, Yuri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2018-11-18 12:28:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 104,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11290737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shade_Penn1/pseuds/Shade_Penn1
Summary: Minato survives the night of the Kyuubi attack, but has no memories of the event to show for it. As he raises his sons, he realizes there was more to the attack than he realized.





	1. Calm Before The Storm

"We're pregnant!"

Uchiha Mikoto blinked at her redheaded friend, who was grinning even as two small brunets looked sharply up at them, but Mikoto gestured for them to go back to playing in the sand, absently noting that the children were going to need a wash afterwards. "Are you sure? I know you've wanted a second child but after..." Unbidden, her eyes drifted to the boy playing with her son.

Uzumaki Kushina caught where her eyes landed, and she sighed heavily. "Yes, I'm sure. The pregnancy with Kira-tan had some...unforseen complications," she grimaced, wincing in remembrance, "but things will be different this time. We know what to watch out for now!"

"How's Minato-kun taking it?" Mikoto questioned. She hadn't seen her old teammate for almost a week, but it seemed he'd been doing more than his Hokage duties.

Kushina beamed once more. "He's just as thrilled." she clasped her hands together. "And he's being such a trooper; he promised he would only scream and curse me a little bit when the baby comes."

And...right there Mikoto knew that two separate conversations were happening. "Are...are you telling me _Minato-kun_ is the pregnant one?" Now the worry came back again in greater force, and gentle ribbing was cast aside in favor of trying to sus out why Kushina would do this once again. "You used the Seahorse Seal again, didn't you? Even after what happened to Sachi-"

"It'll be different this time." Kushina repeated hastily, her eyes roving over to Kira. The six-year-old didn't seem to have heard his mother's name being mentioned, as he was too busy showing Itachi the _right_ way to make a rock garden, but the younger boy just seemed to be drawing shuriken in the sand instead. Satisfied though that neither child was listening, Kushina still lowered her tone to be on the safe side.

"We made sure the problems that happened during Sachiko's pregnancy won't happen again. At least, I hope not." Kushina said quietly. She wouldn't regret Kira being born, but her darling child had come with a price attached that had been collected only a year later. And then there was the _other_ thing...

Mikoto saw a scowl cross Kushina's lips as she glared at nothing. She decided to bring the conversation back to something more pleasant than dwell on the potentially devastating side-effects of the Seahorse Seal-which was a stupid name and not terribly accurate but no one had a better descriptor for it. "So how does it feel being a father for a second time?"

Kushina stared at her blankly, but then a self-satisfied look appeared on her face. "It feels good, because I _am_ the father." A hardness entered her eyes. "Of them both."

Oh boy, Mikoto couldn't help but feel sorry for the bastard that yet again implied Kira wasn't Kushina's. She'd beaten people up when they were young because they insulted her _hair_ for crying out loud, did no one really think saying her son wasn't hers wouldn't be met with the same violent retaliation?

-

 _Damn him!_ An echo rang out from the force of a fist hitting a cavern wall, anger radiating from the figure hunched over. His face was obscured by an orange mask with a black flame pattern, but the only eye hole revealed an eye narrowed in frustration. _He just had to be so-so_ noble _and_ kind, _didn't he?_

This wrench could undo everything, just because Minato wanted to spare Kushina any complications- like her seal weakening and being vulnerable enough to rip the Kyuubi out of her-and give her a second child.

 _Damn him and damn her selfishness!_ He cursed for the second time, cursed Minato for being an idiot, cursed Kushina for having yet another person bear her child than do it herself, but mostly cursed the fact this plan was quickly unravelling...

...although...

This didn't _necessarily_ mean the plan was ruined, just that things got a bit more _interesting_ to work around.


	2. Eye Of The Hurricane

Everything hurt.

It was the only thing Minato could think about, the only thing on his mind as in a pinch he went from feeling nothing to feeling _everything_ -every ache, every cramp, the ringing in his ears, blood seeping from...his eyes snapped open, a dazed sense of confusion falling over him along with a growing amount of dread.

He was outside, lying in the dirt, with debris of rocks and trees scattered around him. Why was he outside? This wasn't right-he should have been in the hospital, still practicing his breathing exercises because his water broke and it hurt and-

Minato's ears stopped feeling as though they were stuffed with cotton, and he dimly realized the ringing in his head wasn't ringing at all...but a baby crying. He struggled to push himself up, wincing as his stomach felt like it was going to drop out-but that was nothing compared to the sight before him.

Smoke filled the air, with the debris he hadn't seen still crackling with flames, the ground scorched and the air felt heavy and hard to breath in-or was that him starting to panic?-as just two feet away Kushina laid on the ground, her skin paler than usual and her body unerringly still. She had an equally still Kira clutched in one arm and a bawling infant wrapped in a blanket with blond wisps of hair in the other, both children pulled in tight against her chest.

"K-Kushina-chan?" Minato felt detached, barely recognizing the scratchy and hoarse voice that came out of him. Had he been screaming recently? He felt like he still could, but apparently that wasn't possible right now.

Why...why were Kira and an infant out here? His mind tried to distract itself with the next thing it could focus on, and that was his step-son and...actual son? He...he couldn't remember giving birth, just the beginning pains of contractions hitting him and-and why couldn't he recall anything beyond that? Everything afterwards was disturbingly blank.

"I found them! Over here!"

Minato was slowly aware of the approach of shinobi, his muscles aching as he tried to turn and look, but he blinked as a hand on his shoulder prevented him from doing so. He furrowed his brow as he stared up at a man, his senses returning with more clarity. "Sensei? What's going on?"

"I should be the one asking you that, gaki." Jiraiya replied. Vaguely, Minato was aware of the ANBU that had appeared and were checking over his family. "First you and the pipsqueak just vanish, and the next thing anyone knows Kyuubi's suddenly knocking down our front gates and-"

"What?!" Minato jerked back at that, but instantly regretted it as everything ached in protest. He winced and tried to make sense of what he'd just been told. "You're...you're not serious are you? How...?" he trailed off, his gaze turning suddenly to Kushina. "I-something must have caused her seal to break." he gripped his hair with his free hand. "I can't remember though, it's like a chunk of my memory is gone."

"That can be looked at later," a newer, but more aged voice spoke up, and Minato realized that the retired (but reinstated due to Minato's pregnancy) Sandaime Hokage had turned up as well, "first though you need to return to the hospital."

Minato grimaced, and he glanced at the ANBU once more, his fist clenching as they removed Kira from Kushina's grasp-his small body still unmoving. "Don't...don't tell me he's-"

"Merely sleeping, Hokage-sama." One of the masked nin replied as he adjusted Kira in his grip, allowing Minato to see him. The blond absently noted that the boy would need to be washed up soon, as his face was dirty and his clothes were muddy, and his whisker marks-

Minato's gaze shot back towards the infant-Naruto, his mind faintly told him, that's what his name's supposed to be-and his stomach dropped further, his heart sinking as he saw the whisker marks on the infant's face too. _Don't let me be right, just let it be dirt on his face..._ "Sensei, what happened to Kyuubi?"

"Well, it was transported out of the village, and into this forest. Then the beast began to disappear, like it was being..." Jiraiya trailed off, the question now starting to take on a new light, "it looked like it was being sealed. Do you honestly think that Kyuubi's-"

"I can't remember, so I don't know what happened." Minato retorted, a touch sharper but he didn't want to believe things could get any worse. "There's got to be another explanation though, maybe one of us killed it, maybe it just left-or-or-" his throat constricted, his chest seizing as the full weight of the situation began to bear down on him.

_Kushina-chan's dead, Naruto-tan might be a Jinchuuriki and Kira-tan not only lost his mother but now his father...and-and I have to raise them by myself-we were suppose to be a family! We were suppose to be in this together; what happened, Kushina-chan?! What-_

Minato's eyes widened, a sharp pain in his neck as his eyes slowly closed and he dropped over Jiraiya's arm.

Sarutobi looked at his student in disapproval. "Was knocking him unconscious really the best course of action?"

Jiraiya looked down at Minato. "You saw how he was beginning to freak out. The last thing we need is him getting anymore stressed so soon after giving birth."

The Sandaime sighed, but conceded to the point; Minato wouldn't be any good to anyone-especially his children-if he suffered from a complete nervous breakdown. He glanced over at the the ANBU. "Inu, Tori, you will both take the infant and Kira-kun to the hospital and place them with Minato-kun. Inu, you will keep guard over them, and Tori, you will guard Kushina-kun's body after you take her to the morgue, which Tora will be escorting her too. The rest of you, find out from this place what you can about what happened here tonight." His voice turned stern and his eyes hardened.

"The Yondaime was not only presumably kidnapped, and so was his step-son, from under our village's very nose, but the Kyuubi was able to be released. You have your assignments, now move out!"

"Hai!" The group of shinobi chorused, and all but three sprinted from sight.

Jiraiya hefted Minato into his arms, while Tori adjusted his grip on Kira to hold him more securely. He noticed Inu having trouble with the newborn, and the spiky silver hair was a distinguishable enough marker to his identity. "You sure you can handle the kid?"

Inu stiffened up, the baby squirming as he had been quieted down after being properly wrapped up. "...yes." It came out hesitant, but then his posture became more resolved. "Though not even a crying baby will keep me from doing my job to protect Sensei's children."

With the Sannin giving him a single look, and nodding at his own sensei, the group of four made their way back to the village, leaving Sarutobi alone and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "The answers to what happened here tonight can't come quickly enough."

He'd have to call a council meeting, there was too much that didn't add up tonight for there _not_ to be one. Things needed to be contained, and fast.

-

The hospital was in a frenzy, and even Jiraiya storming through the hall wasn't enough to make people move out the way quickly, leaving Kakashi and Tori jostling not just to keep up but make sure that neither child awoke. Kakashi would not be much of a ninja if he could not withstand the pressure of a hard life, but these past two days had left his nerves practically shot.

There was a pounding in his head only amplified by the yelling and rushing around them from the damage Kyuubi did, short as its rampage had been. Tora hadn't followed them into the hospital itself, opting instead to take the back exit-which was a smart option given Kushina's status in the village. No one knew how Kyuubi got released, and it wouldn't take much for people in their anger and grief to believe she had broken her seal _intentionally_.

It weren't as though Kushina hadn't been targeted before, and unfortunately this time it might've worked.

One of the nurses gasped upon seeing the group, but anything else she might've wanted to say was cut off by Jiraiya demanding to be shown where Minato's room was. The nurse nodded frantically and escorted them past other rooms filled with patients screaming and crying. Kakashi glanced down at the infant in his arms, and shifted the palm of his hand to cover its ears. He wanted to put off having to deal with a crying baby for as long as possible.

When they reached Minato's room, much of the equipment and furniture had been taken away, likely to provide seating and help for the other patients that flooded through the hospital doors.

The nurse nervously looked at Minato as he was set on the bed, and at the infant in Kakashi's arms. "He gave birth while he was kidnapped?" she breathed in slowly. "I'll do a routine check to make sure he's not in danger of blood loss or any other complications before a doctor can see him."

It had been hard to ignore out in the field, but now the blood that stained the closed front of Minato's haori was too noticeable against the white of the coat. Kakashi averted his gaze out of respect when the nurse opened the haori, having already deduced that there would be nothing underneath covering him up.

"Well?" Jiraiya asked, impatient with how quiet the nurse had gotten. "Is he gonna live?"

"Yes," the nurse replied briskly, "the bleeding has stopped on its own, and signs show that he's already gone through the afterbirth." Kakashi was relieved, if faintly nauseas-this was a much more in-depth look at pregnancy than he'd ever wanted to know. "I'll cover it up just in case there's spotting, and a doctor should see him soon enough."

"What about the children?" Tori questioned. "They were out in the forest too."

The nurse frowned for a moment, but sighed. "Let me wash my hands again and I'll take a look at them." she said and once that was done, Naruto got first look because he was a newborn.

Kakashi shifted Naruto to hold him against the crook of his shoulder more securely, but his surprised reaction when the nurse pulled the blanket back was the same as everyone else's in the room. The umbilical cord was cut cleanly and tapped over, which should not have been possible out in a forest.

"This baby is in remarkably good condition." The nurse sounded startled, if not unsettled.

Jiraiya rubbed his chin, his expression deep in thought. "Whoever kidnapped Minato-kun must have been prepared to deal with him giving birth," his thoughtfulness turned grave, "which means this was planned, perhaps months in advance."

"What would be the purpose of it though? Did they intend to kidnap Hokage-sama's child?" Tori asked.

"If that were true, they wouldn't have taken the pipsqueak." Jiraiya replied. "Much as Minato-kun loves that kid as his own, legally Kira-kun's only his step-son. No, there's something bigger going on; keep an eye on them, Inu, I've got to go start my own investigation."

Kakashi nodded, not wanting to disrespect the man by telling him he already had that order. He wrapped Naruto back up, and after Kira was given a quick once over, Tori followed after the Sannin.

The nurse placed Kira on the bed by Minato's side, and Kakashi didn't miss the way she immediately wiped her hands on her uniform, as if she'd just touched something filthy. "I'll bring him a settee to sleep on." she said somewhat reluctantly and a touch too hastily departed from the room as well.

In all the chaos and confusion from the Kyuubi's attack, the woman's reaction to Kira was yet another wake-up call. He'd have to be even more vigilant now.

-

When Minato awoke a second time, he found a white ceiling above him, and underneath his form a soft material. He blinked, but closed his eyes as the weight of the last time he awoke settled over him, though in comparison his body didn't ache as much, being little more than a numb feeling-or was that his shattered emotional state's doing?

His fingers twitched, and he furrowed his brow as the tips brushed against something soft. He glanced down, and found Kira curled up beside him, still as dirty as-Minato frowned. How long _had_ he been asleep for? Days? If so, why the hell didn't anyone wash Kira up?

"Sensei, you're awake."

Minato's gaze snapped to the foot of his bed, where tilting his head forward he could see Kakashi holding Naruto, his ANBU mask slung around his neck. "Kaka," he winced at the rasp still in his voice, "Kakashi-kun, how long have...I been asleep for?"

"A little less than six hours, you were all brought here some time during the night." Kakashi replied.

His words were a shot to the heart; Minato leaned back against his pillow, eyes closing in mourning. _Kushina-chan's probably in the morgue. What the hell happened out there?_ He kept his thoughts from going any further, not wanting to have another panic attack. He was the Hokage, the leader of the village that expected him to lead, he was a mother (and father depending on how Kira was going to view him) with two boys to raise. He couldn't afford to show any kind of percieved weakness, even if he was on maternity leave.

And so, Minato opened his eyes, and forced himself to sit up. When Kakashi stepped forward, one arm outstretched to help him, the blond held out his own hand to stop him. "I want a report of what the damage is and how long I've been missing for."

Kakashi was likely frowning given how the mouth beneath his regular mask indented. "Are you sure that's wise, Sensei? You just woke up."

Minato sighed heavily, absently running his fingers through Kira's hair, causing the boy to shuffle closer to him. It made him smile briefly, but then he caught sight of the blood on his haori and it made him redouble his efforts to distract himself. "I'm sure. I don't want to go out there and not know what's going on."

"How could I forget? Running in blindly isn't your style." Kakashi said, his tone somewhat bleak and caused his jest to fall flat as a joke to lighten the mood. "Yeah, that was terrible." The younger man said, but in a moment he straightened up, appearing as serious as could be while holding a newborn. "I'll tell you what _I_ can recall, as I was not around for everything; almost two days ago, your water broke and I helped you to the hospital. When I told Kushina-san, I think she almost outdid your Hiraishin to get to your side."

Minato's chest ached as he couldn't remember it, but it did sound so much like her. "Go on."

"Eventually Kushina-san was kicked out of the hospital due to visiting hours being over, and I was reluctantly made to switch duties with another ANBU," here Kakashi paused, and Minato could guess this was where he needed to start bracing himself, "but during that short amount of time between the shift change-you were gone. Your window was wide open, and there were no signs of a struggle. Then...then Kushina-san was on a rampage because not long before you went missing Kira-kun was taken from his room. For almost a whole day we searched high and low for you both, but...but then last night the Kyuubi appeared just outside the village."

Minato clenched his free hand, his other only resting on Kira's head. "And?"

"And while it was not in the village for long, it still caused both untold amounts of property damage and costs dozens of lives." Kakashi's tone had become detached, keeping himself very much in the mindset of how an ANBU should act. It never failed to be unsettling though, even as Minato had tried his best to steer Kakashi from that darkness inside him.

"I see." The blond said after processing the words. "Then I will have a lot to work through when I'm out of here."

"Which will not be any time soon; you're on leave after all."

Minato's gaze slid past Kakashi, who looked unperturbed as an elderly woman walked in with a young medi-nin behind her. "Biwako-sama? What are you doing here?" Was he so thrown off that he couldn't sense them outside his room?

"Stopping a foolish young man from going beyond his limits apparently." Biwako replied shortly. Minato felt his face heat, and looked down at his lap feeling chastised. "You are not to move a foot out of that bed until I have deemed you fit to leave."

Minato blinked. "You, Biwako-sama?" he hunched into himself when the elderly woman arched a brow. He hadn't meant for it to sound so blunt and disrespectful.

"I was and still am a capable medi-nin, and Taji-san will be a suitable nurse for your children." she explained curtly. "Which brings me to the next order of business; when was the last time your children ate?"

Minato opened his mouth to speak, but he drew a blank. He looked at Kakashi, who seemed just as baffled by the question. "I...I guess they haven't, or if they did I can't remember since that part's gone."

"I will make a note to bring in a Yamanaka specialist to deal with your memory loss." Biwako said, and glanced at Kakashi. "Well? What are you waiting for, give Taji-san the baby."

Kakashi held Naruto just a little closer to himself. "I can't do that, I am here to protect Sensei and his children."

"And I am here to keep them alive." Biwako retorted. "So tell me, did they give you childcare lessons in your ANBU training? Teach you how to feed a baby or make reluctant children listen to you? If you want to help, go with Taji-san and take note of what she shows you."

Minato watched Kakashi struggle with himself before reluctantly handing Naruto over to the medi-nin, and the ANBU picked Kira up before following her out of the room. The blond turned his gaze back to Biwako, who was giving him a scrutinizing once-over.

"Tell me, what hurts and how much?"

_Wow, right to the point,_ Minato thought wryly, but winced as he shifted against the headboard. "Everything aches to an extent, but mostly my stomach, head and...between my legs." he coughed, embarrassment coursing through him. He might've spent ten months with having a vagina and a functional womb, but he was still flustered to talk about it. He didn't much like talking anyone's private parts, much less his own. _And both Sensei and Kushina-chan would tease me about it too,_ Minato felt a pang at the thought of his wife, and focused back on a stone-faced Biwako.

_What? Oh, right, she's waiting for me to continue. Snap out of it, Minato, you're better than this!_ The blond reprimanded himself. "My arms and legs feel-relatively-fine, my head still has a slight pounding in it, my stomach feels like it's going to drop, and my...it just feels uncomfortable between my legs but there's no sharp pain."

"I see. Provided you are not withholding the true measure of your pain, it is likely while you were kidnapped, your captor-or captors depending on what exactly their goal was last night-had planned on at least keeping you stable-or at the very least, alive." Biwako explained in a matter-of-factly tone.

It was something in that moment Minato appreciated, as he tried to think over the possibilities with the same calm professionalism. "There are three scenarios that could have occurred for last night; they wanted the children and were waiting for me to give birth to have both of me and Kushina-chan's sons, the goal was to release the Kyuubi and both Kira-tan and I were just insurance for Kushina-chan to comply to-with Naruto-tan's birth being an inconvenience they planned for-or I was the target and Kushina-chan found us but the release of the Kyuubi was the inconvenience.

"There are things that don't add up, even in any one scenario. The loss of my memories of the event are troubling and I have yet to find out if Kira-tan is able to remember anything either." Minato frowned to himself. "If it were just me, I could chalk it up to stress and extreme trauma, but both of us? That would be more suspicious."

"That will be for later, after all, you have three months of your maternity leave remaining before you are reinstated to office." Biwako said sternly.

Minato's frown deepened at the reminder. He'd been so ready to get back to into office...that he almost began to forgot the original agreement which had been worked out before this whole thing happened. "Surely I'll need to-" he stopped when the elderly woman gave him an icy stare.

"Hiruzen will be able to manage the village in the mean while, just as he had before this tragedy, but your _sons_ need you now. Despite how much you, Kushina-san and Sachiko-san wanted to keep it a secret, it spread like wild fire through the village about Kira-kun's condition, and with there being no evidence yet of Kyuubi being resealed into Kushina-san, how long do you think it will take before suspicion falls onto one of your children of being the host?"

Minato's eyes widened. Yes, he loved the village very much, but he was not oblivious to the faults of it. He'd seen how Kushina was treated before he'd become Hokage and people were more subtle with their dislike afterwards, but Kira had become a new target because they could 'prove' he was no good and sometimes even Minato's presence wasn't enough to make them back off.

_How long will it be before Naruto-tan is suspected to be a Jinchuuriki? No one in the village knows what happened_. And it was frustrating because even Minato didn't know what happened, and he was _there_ for it!

"How long will the investigation take?" Minato asked.

"With most of the shinobi forces backed up to help with the relief effort, answers likely will not be coming until a weeks time." Biwako replied, but waved her hand dismissively. "Though now is not the time to fret. Trust that Hiruzen will do what is best and put it out of your mind-besides, you will have time for little else but your children."

Minato sighed. Yes, he could remember very well from when Kira was born how the first few months went. He'd tentatively offered to help out, but Kushina had been adamant (as well as feeling guilty most likely) that she needed to take care of Kira while Sachiko was still recovering from the...complication from the pregnancy.

Now he was regretting at least not going with her to a class to observe at least how childcare was done. He'd gotten used though to being Kira's 'big brother' - even if technically he was his step-father- that now he was being bit in the ass by not being more actively involved. _It's not just going to be Naruto-tan who will need help. How's Kira-tan going to handle the shift? I can't be 'cool' anymore and let him get away with stuff Kushina-chan didn't._

"I've been Kira-tan's step-father since he was born, and yet now I see I have no idea what I'm doing at all." Minato said heavily.

"Then you'll learn." Biwako retorted. "You'll make mistakes, all parents have at one point, but show Kira-kun that you still love him and he'll adapt to this change along with you. Tell me, how did he react when he found out you were pregnant?"

Minato blinked, and as he thought about it, he found himself relieved that this memory block didn't extend so far back. "He was worried," he said quietly, "that I would die like his mother had, or that I wouldn't love him anymore since I was getting my 'own' son now." he frowned; it was really quite morbid Kira had so casually mentioned it, but unfortunately it had been too late to make people stop talking about it-both about Sachiko and the 'being his son' part.

"Kushina-chan and I reassured him as best we could that I would be fine, and that I still loved him. We told him that we weren't replacing him, but making him a big brother. He...he liked that, actually." he added, a fond smile crossing his lips at as he said the last bit.

Biwako nodded. "Continue showing him this acceptance and he'll forgive you when you eventually make a fool of yourself."

Minato's eye twitched. Here he thought for a second she might've been going easy on him. "I see, thank you for the advice."

Biwako nodded once more. "Now, open your haori and lift up your shirt." she frowned when Minato hesitated. "What is it?"

"It's just, well, there's nothing...I'm not wearing any pants." The blond muttered.

The elderly woman arched a brow at him once more. "Did you think I could not tell by the fact your legs are bare? Or did you not think that part of the exam would be making sure you weren't in any danger of still bleeding out?"

Minato flushed. "Well, it's just, I don't know if you've...well..." Oh no, he wanted to say it, but was too painfully embarrassed to speak so bluntly in front of his respected elder. "...seen _this_."

The woman stared at him. "A man with a vagina?" There was something both amused and irritated in her eyes as Minato made a strangled choking noise. "Come now, do you think in my lifetime I have not seen the Seahorse Seal on both men and women alike? You literally have nothing I haven't seen before."

"That may be true, but it's just...I've always been rather modest." Minato replied, his face still flushed. "Just give me a moment." he added, and did all he could to remind himself that this was for his health. _The sooner it's done, the sooner I can recover and get out of here._

And when the exam _was_ done, Minato was relieved that by the time Kakashi and Taji arrived with his kids, he had a blanket pulled over him up to his stomach. He managed a shaky smile at Kira, who stared at him for a moment before launching himself at the bed, wrapping his arms around Minato's neck.

"Kaka-nii said you were fine, but I didn't believe him!" Kira said, and Minato noticed Kakashi's eye twitch at the nickname.

The blond wrapped his arms around Kira and was just as relieved to see him awake. "Were you a good boy for Kakashi-kun and Taji-san though?" his smile widened as Kira avoided looking at him. "It's okay, you can tell me."

Kira looked at him wide-eyed, his voice hushed as he tried to ignore Kakashi and Taji. "I found an orange book sticking out of Kaka-nii's pocket and Taji-san got mad at him when I showed her."

"Little thief pickpocketed me when I wasn't looking." Kakashi muttered.

Taji sent the ANBU a glare. "You shouldn't have been reading that on the job."

"I wasn't reading it...yet."

"Keep your voices down." Biwako said sternly as she emerged from the adjacent washroom, Minato's haori in one hand. "I will have someone wash this, and Taji will be assisting you until you are adjusted to your new situation."

Minato blinked, he thought it would only be for a day or so. "I don't want to take you from your work, Taji-san."

The medi-nin bowed, Naruto still sleeping contently and not jostled by the movement. "It is no trouble, Hokage-sama."

Minato was not going to argue, as he knew he'd honestly need any help he could get. "Then thank you for your time, Taji-san." he couldn't bow without feeling his stomach drop uncomfortably, so he settled for inclining his head. "Is there anything I should know first?"

"Kira-kun will need to be cleaned up, and I will show you how to feed your baby when he wakes." Taji replied. She narrowed her eyes at Kakashi. "Go and see if you can find any scrubs for Kira-kun and diapers for the baby."

The young ANBU looked annoyed. "I will not abandon Sensei."

"Did you forget that I am also ANBU? They will be fine in my care, and you need to familiarize yourself with these tasks if you wish to really help your sensei." Taji said sternly.

Kakashi muttered something under his breath before he shunshined away, and Biwako nodded approvingly at Taji before taking her own leave.

The medi-nin smiled at the blond. "Would you like to hold your son?"

Minato felt Kira stiffen, and he rubbed the brunet's hair. "I already am, but I know what you mean." Kira looked at him with a slight smile, and the blond tucked him against his side. "Lets meet your little brother, okay?" Kira bit his lip, and he nodded, giving Taji her cue to walk over to them.

"Cradle your arms, Hokage-sama, and support his head." she instructed, gently adjusting his grip once Naruto was in Minato's arms.

The weight of his son in his arms, with Kira sidled up beside him made his chest ache as in knowing what he gained, he was painfully aware of what he lost. He felt a small hand on his cheek, and Minato blinked as Kira wiped away a tear that slipped out.

"Don't cry, Nii-san, you'll make Naruto-chan cry too." he said, glancing down at the baby who was sleepily beginning to open his eyes.

Minato chuckled softly, and rubbed his head against Kira's. "You can call me Otou-san, or even Okaa-san...if you want." The brunet looked up at him startled, orange eyes wide and surprised that it hurt how much he looked like Sachiko. That was one of the effects of the Seahorse Seal, the child tended to end up favoring the recipient more in looks. "I'm not saying I'm going to replace either your father or mother, but think of it as a security blanket. No matter what, you'll always be my son too."

Kira sniffled, his eyes water as he tucked against Minato's side again. "I...I would like that...Otou-san." he choked over the word, and Minato didn't blame him. "I just...need time to get used to it."

"We all do." Minato replied. He sighed, and realized how rude he was being. "I'm sorry, Taji-san, for ignoring your presence and-" he stopped himself once he saw that the woman was clasping her hands in front of her mouth, eyes sparkling.

"This is such a beautiful moment." she whispered.

Minato blinked, but slowly smiled as he nodded. "Yes it is." A knocking at the door was all he got before a dark-haired woman In a jounin uniform rushed in with Kakashi following after her, and Minato sighed. "And the moment's over-Mikoto-chan, what are you doing here?"

Mikoto glared at him incredulously. "I came to see if you were alright, everyone's saying how Kushina-chan's dead and you might've been too."

Kakashi looked chastised even as he shoved the diaper bag and scrubs into an annoyed Taji's arms. "Sensei, I'm so sorry that I didn't stop her in time. I know you need your rest and-"

"It's okay, Kakashi-kun." Minato said gently. "You were only doing what you were told."

"Wow, not even a mom for a whole day and you're sure getting the hang of being kindly reprimanding." Mikoto said.

Minato rolled his eyes. "It's nice to see you too, but couldn't you have picked a better time to catch up?"

The woman turned serious, any teasing left gone. "I meant what I said; you've been missing for two days and then all hel-" she glanced down at Kira, who was attentively watching them both-" _heck_ breaks loose and they find you in a forest? What happened out there?"

Minato sighed, did everyone know that? "I don't know. The last thing I can remember is my water breaking and after the contractions, but after that it's all a blank." he shook his head, too frustrated to dwell on it. "What about you? Is your family okay?"

"Yes, Itachi and Sasuke are being looked after my one of our relatives, and Fugaku and his police force are helping with the relief effort and I was about to join before I heard you were here." Mikoto replied. She looked down at Naruto, her gaze softening. "He looks a lot like you, what did you decide to call him? It was a ramen ingredient, right?"

"Naruto." Minato supplied, which was actually a scarily appropriate name when he thought about it. Even before he and Kushina agreed on the name from the main character in Jiraiya's book, the blond had had a strong craving for ramen throughout the months.

"That's right, your little fishcake." Mikoto said teasingly.

Kira snickered, even if only because she wasn't teasing about him being the 'sparkle' in anyone's eye yet.

Minato took the ribbing in stride though. "Yes, I liked ramen through my pregnancy and we picked a name that was also a ramen topping." he recited dryly.

"I was only teasing." Mikoto replied. She reached over and ruffled Kira's hair before she stood. "I'd better go start helping, but we'll talk more after," she paused, her expression turning morose, "the chaos has calmed down."

Minato kept from wincing, and nodded. "Yeah, it would help make things feels normal again."

"We're shinobi, Minato-kun, I don't think we'll ever be normal." Mikoto replied, the blond couldn't disagree with her. The woman nodded to both Kakashi and Taji before departing, but taking her place in the door was another nurse holding a bottle.

"ANBU-san, you said you needed formula to be brought to Hokage-sama's room?"

Kakashi nodded. "Yes, thank you." his hand was smacked away by Taji and he glared at her as she took the bottle instead. "I thought babies needed milk?"

"They do, but did it honesty slip your mind not to stay and watch her make it?" Taji retorted.

Minato paled at the same time Kakashi did. No, they...the staff wouldn't dare...not so soon. "Taji-san, do you really think someone would poison a newborn?"

Kakashi reacted instantly as the nurse tried to slip away, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her back into the room. She looked terrified as Taji's hands began to glow green, and soon enough the formula turned a sickly purplish color. Kakashi tightened his hold on the nurse's wrist, causing her to cry out. "Who else touched this bottle, or did you work alone?"

"I swear I don't know anything!" The nurse said, her fearful eyes turning to Minato. "Nurse Riko said she would make the bottle and told me to bring it up-I swear on my life I didn't know it was tampered with, Hokage-sama!"

Kakashi stiffened. "That's the nurse who checked you over when you arrived, Hokage-sama."

Minato noticed Naruto beginning to squirm, and how Kira was starting to curl up on himself. "Keep your voice down, you're scaring my children." he said coldly, and the nurse immediately went silent. "Inu, take this woman and Nurse Riko both to T & I, if this woman is as innocent as she claims, then there won't be any trouble."

"And Riko?" Kakashi questioned.

Minato would have been merciful, but the fact was, he would have been the one to feed Naruto the poison if Taji hadn't stopped it, and he'd been too soft when it came to Kira's safety enough as it were. It was time for things to change. "She was going to kill my son, and the attempt on the life of a member of the Hokage's family is a capital offense."

Kakashi nodded, and pulled the woman out with him.

Minato noticed Taji looked contemplative. "Was I too harsh?"

"No, just that I think we both came to the conclusion had this got past me you would have murdered your own son." Taji replied. "I do not judge your actions, we are still shinobi and you are protecting your family."

Minato glanced back at Kira again, who was staring at him wide-eyed. "Yes, both of them." The brunet leaned back into him, and Minato hoped he could protect both his sons from any harm from now on.


	3. One Degree Of Seperation

If one were to look up at the sky, with its blue expanse, the sun shining and not a cloud for miles, they could almost pretend that things were alright, but their gaze only needed to turn down and see the damage done to Konoha for the illusion to shatter. Hiruzen could not afford ignorance, not when even after nearly a week since the Kyuubi attack occurred were answers just arriving, but the one he'd dreaded hearing the most was the one Jiraiya just got done reporting.

His student hadn't wanted the ANBU guarding the room to overhear and so the office's silencing seal had been activated- and with good reason since the number one theory running rampant had just been confirmed. Second rampant theory, he should say-only the former hadn't had any proof until now.

"Are you...absolutely certain of this?" Sarutobi asked, the question making him feel every bit his age.

Jiraiya nodded grimly. "Whether or not an Uchiha could have caused the Kyuubi to attack the village might be up for debate, but there's no doubt Kushina-chan's seal _wasn't_ tampered with."

Sarutobi rubbed the bridge of his nose; were it not for the fact Minato might have another breakdown by being informed of this, he would have given the hat back and offered to look after Minato's sons by himself while the blond sorted everything out instead. "You do understand what will go into the report for Minato-kun to review will be that his wife _let_ the Kyuubi out, don't you?"

"Yes, but due to the suspicious circumstances of his and the pipsqueak's disappearance there is clearly more to it than the villagers thinking Kushina-chan broke her seal out of spite." Jiraiya retorted.

"Which no one will care about if this gets out-they'll only see they were 'right' about her." Hiruzen said. "It is the same with relocating the Uchiha to the edge of the village. True, there is a bit more basis in fact with the Sharingan being able to control the Kyuubi, but no proof that this wasn't the work of someone else."

"Which you still agreed to do." Jiraiya said pointedly.

The acting Hokage gave his student a hard stare. "There is still much to be done before the village will be stable once more, time better spent helping the relief effort than arguing about who did what." he sighed, remembering how the other council members hadn't budged on the relocation of the Uchihas. "And once Minato is back in office he'll be able to properly smooth things over." he added, but moved on to yet another part of Jiraiya's report which perturbed him.

"And you said all the wounds Kushina-kun had on her hadn't healed in the slightest?"

"That's right. There's no evidence that any of the knicks or cuts on her were even in the stages of being healed when she died." Jiraiya explained, sighing as he continued. "Which means she didn't seal Kyuubi back into herself, and I haven't been able to check either of Minato-kun's kids yet since he won't let anyone near them."

Sarutobi nodded. "Biwako-chan told me much of the same thing when I asked after Minato-kun's health. His protectiveness is understandable though given the attempt on his infant son's life."

Jiraiya scowled. "What kind of nurse tries to poison a baby?"

"Indeed, and while Minato-kun's actions were harsh, they certainly weren't unjustified." The elderly man said, but he was still split on how to regard Minato's decision. The part of him which wanted to find solutions through diplomacy did not approve, but the fatherly part of him didn't begrudge Minato's instinct to protect his child. "Perhaps though finding out what happened the night of the attack will bring him some peace."

"Honestly we could all use some of that." Jiraiya muttered, and Hiruzen did not disagree.

The worst was over, but that did not mean it would smooth sailing from here on.

\-----  
Minato was finding himself more agitated by each day he still had to spend it in the hospital. He didn't like coming here before hand, as aside from the more severe injuries he couldn't bounce back from, he avoided it for the minor ones. And telling Biwako he 'barely ached' anymore got him nothing from the woman but a stern glare until he backed down.

It didn't help that Kakashi had rooted out another two nurses who thought they could poison his children. Were they really so foolish or arrogant to think they could get away with that? Minato could sympathize with the grieving- he was still feeling a different ache that had nothing to do with his body- but when that grief turned to hate against two innocent kids who did nothing wrong...well, even his empathy had a limit.

Minato also kept a closer eye on his sons, not even letting anyone else hold Naruto-which led to some very awkward attempts to change diapers or feed him in the middle of the night. For the most part it was understood where his surge of protectiveness came from, but he also knew Biwako and Taji found it immensely frustrating when he'd _hover_ as they cleaned Naruto or Kira up, something he'd been reluctant to allow in the first place.

Though the fact they and Kakashi kept him and Kira from going stir-crazy had let Minato reason with himself they could be trusted to at least _be_ in the room.

But just he was finally declared fit to leave almost a week after that awful night, the blond found himself hesitating as he was handed a very loose pair of scrubs.

Biwako raised a brow. "Isn't this what you wanted? To be free of this 'dreadful place full of bad memories?'" she recited one of the most frequent complaints Minato made to try and get released sooner.

It hadn't worked and he'd sulk because of it. Kira thought it was funny, but many things were funny to a small child. Still, it was nice to see his step-son smile, even at Minato's expense. "Oh, you think that's funny, Mr. I'm-Six-Years-Old-And-Too-Big-For-Hugs?" he'd meant it as a joke, but the way Kira stiffened put Minato on edge.

"I'm...I'm seven now, Otou-san." The child whispered.

Minato felt his chest constrict again, his eyes wide as in his muddled thoughts he remembered that Kira was right-and that it was part of his missing memories. "What...what day did the Kyuubi get released?"

For a moment, Biwako's face softened in sympathy. "October 10th."

Minato leaned against the door to the bathroom, his fingers griping the scrubs in his hands. He felt light-headed, and dizzy, to know that he'd forgotten not only Kira's birthday for nearly a week, but that he hadn't even asked when his son might have been born. "And...Naruto?"

"He couldn't have been more than a few hours old, at the most when I checked him over." Taji said softly.

"Sensei, are you sure you should be leaving the hospital?" Kakashi questioned. He took a step forward, but Minato held up his hand.

"I'm fine, just a...surprise." he said dazedly, but tried to smile at Kira, who looked immensely worried. "Look at it this way, you and your baby brother get to have the same birthday."

Kira glanced at the infant sleeping in a basinette right beside the bed, and he gave the same grimacing smile back to Minato. "Y-yeah."

Minato nodded, and steadily opened the door. "I won't be long, but be good." he said and Kira nodded, scampering to climb back onto the bed. The blond waited until the brunet settled down before going into the washroom, and closed the door behind him. He set the scrubs on the counter and splashed water onto his face, letting out a shuddering breath.

He still felt the weight of everything that happened, to know he'd been right in the middle of it and couldn't _remember_ anything. Taji tried coaxing Kira into telling them what happened, but just as with Minato, the little boy couldn't recall anything except being woken up by his window opening.

The thought made him sick, of someone being in his step-son's room. Had they used Kira to get Minato out of the hospital, or threatened him in some manner? _Stop overthinking it,_ he glared at himself in the mirror, _a Yamanaka's coming in before I'm set to be discharged and I'll get my answers then._

Nodding to himself, Minato set about changing the old scrubs he'd been in. The outfit he'd been in when everything went to hell was taken to be cleaned, and though he'd reluctanly let Biwako and Taji wash his kids, Minato was more insistent that he clean himself up. His protests as they made Kakashi help him to the washroom fell on deaf ears though.

Removing the shirt, Minato once more saw that his stomach was bare of any seal. He'd felt embarrassed to have panicked the first time he saw the seal gone and yet still felt the physical effects before he set himself straight. _The seal on Sachiko-chan did the same thing, and Kushina-chan said that it was only invisible due to there being no more chakra being channelled to the child through it._

The blond placed his hand on the swell of his stomach, feeling the warmth of the invisible seal, but absently noted he'd need to start working off the weight gain soon. Taji had already started him on a meal plan of nothing but okayu and natto for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It really wasn't fair, Kira and Kakashi got to eat nikuman that Biwako prepared-which had been made without salt as per Kira's rather unique dietary situation- and after Minato was back in peak physical condition he hoped to never see that porridge or foul-smelling beans on his rice ever again.

Despite his appetite woes, Minato felt a fond smile cross his lips as he rubbed his stomach, and thought of the times he'd wake up in the middle of the night to Naruto kicking inside of him, or about how excited both Kira and Kushina were to feel it. The smile faded just as quickly though, because it hit him once more that Kushina wouldn't be there to experience raising their son.

She'd been a good father to Kira, but Naruto wouldn't get to know that, not first-hand anyway since even if it hurt, Minato wasn't going to deny letting Naruto know about his father.

After letting himself reminese for a moment, the blond got himself washed up and put on his new set of scrubs. He winced as he thought of all the things he'd need to buy once more, but in comparison walking around outside in hospital scrubs was a lesser concern.

Minato patted his 'outfit' down once he dressed himself, and just as he opened the door he was hit with the smell of chicken teriyaki before his window opened and his sensei came through. "You could've used the door." his tone was flat, as he realized how useless saying that had been for the last two times Jiraiya had stopped by.

"And make such a _normal_ entrance? You must know me better than that." The man replied. He made a move to pat Kira on the head, but Minato's eye twitched. "Really? Still twitchy?"

"I'm not the only one." Minato retorted, noticing how Kakashi had tensed too. "And besides, it's not as though you haven't been talking to him."

"True." Jiraiya glanced down at the brunet. "So, kid, how ya been?"

Kira sat on the edge of the bed, ignoring the question as he sniffed. "Is that for us?"

Jiraiya snorted. "What, no hello?"

Kira's expression turned as solemn as a newly-turned seven-year-olds face could. "Hello, ero-oji."

The man glowered at Minato. "You just had to teach him that, didn't you?"

Minato shrugged with a small smile. "Kid's sharp. When he found out Kakashi-kun read your Icha Icha Paradise, he called him 'ero-nii' just because he knew you were a pervert too." he explained, though admittedly it had been worth seeing Kakashi's not-face when Kira laid that new nickname on him. _Heh, he_ did _want to be called something other than 'Kaka-nii'._

Biwako sighed, though sent a reprimanding glance at Taji, who instantly silenced the giggles she'd tried suppressing. "If we're all quite done being junveniel, may we act like the adults I know you are?"

Minato coughed. "Yes, uh, are you here for a reason, Sensei, or just to visit?" he tentatively got back onto the bed, but as soon as he recieved the chicken teriyaki, Taji swooped in and replaced it with another bowl of okayu. "How did you...?"

Taji smiled slightly. "I have my way, Hokage-sama." she stepped back and handed the meal to Kakashi.

Jiraiya raised a brow, but shook his head. " _Anyway_ , I just came by to see how you were doing. I'll be heading out soon and wanted to be sure you had a clear head on your shoulders."

Minato breathed in deeply, rubbing his brow. "Yes, I had a slight breakdown, but once the Yamanaka comes in we'll finally get the answers we need." he noticed Kira fidgeting, and the blond furrowed his brow. "Is there something wrong?"

"We'll...you said," Kira glanced shyly at Minato, as though he were bashful to bring it up at all, "that when I turned seven I sign the Toad Contract and you'd teach me to summon when I got older."

Minato stared at him blankly, not paying much attention to the fact Jiraiya and Kakashi looked amused, while Biwako and Taji looked at him disapprovingly. All the blond could think back to was when he'd use a summons to babysit Kira in his office while he was doing work and Kushina was busy, then promised-mostly bribed-Kira not to say anything and he could sign the contract when he was seven. "Oh." he glanced into his step-son's eyes. "I...did promise, didn't I?"

Kira nodded, his expression more excited than it had been since the start of the week. "And I've been practicing the hand seals so you don't have to worry about it!"

"Huh, efficient little brat, isn't he?" Jiraiya mused.

Minato chuckled faintly. "I guess so. He-" he stopped himself, his eyes going wide as Kira bit his thumb and his hands went through the hand seals before he slammed his palm against the bed.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Kira shouted. He beamed at Minato, who stared back horrified. The young boy's expression became startled just as the symbols appeared under his hand-and he vanished in a puff of smoke.

"No!" Minato reached out too late , but it didn't stop the pain in his stomach from flaring and he wrapped his arms around himself.

Taji immediately came to his side. "Hokage-sama, you can't stress yourself!"

"Stress myself?" Minato repeated incredulously. "My son just did the summoning technique _without_ signing a contract. Who knows where he ended up!" he began to get up, but Taji gripped his shoulder to keep him down. "What are you doing? I can find him, I put one of my seals on him."

"You can't use chakra just yet, now stay put!" Taji tried to wrestle him back onto the bed, but Minato struggled to get out of her grip.

"He's all alone somewhere, he needs me!" he retorted. "Now let-" he stopped, disbelief coursing through him as he felt another sharp pain in his neck, and his last thought before he lost consciousness was _Damn it, Sensei._

There was a moment of silence as Taji pulled Minato back onto the bed and Kakashi helped her adjust the blond, but then Biwako gave Jiraiya a stern glare.

"Was that necessary?"

The sannin felt a sense of deja vu. "He was freaking out and that wouldn't help anyone." he rubbed his brow. "Though if it weren't such a headache I'd almost be impressed with the pipsqueak. He must have practiced for days to get the sequence right."

"How do we find him?" Kakashi asked. "From what I know, those who do the summoning technique without a contract are sent to an animal they have an affinity for. And there are literally hundreds, so even with my ninken it could take days to narrow it down."

"Is there no fox summon?" Biwako asked bluntly. She recieved a sharp, affronted look from Taji, but held firm. "Let us not pretend we don't know what Kira-kun is." she glanced at Jiraiya. "Are there fox summons or not?"

The man frowned. "No, there is only the fox. The tailed-beasts don't have affiliated summons'." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Kakashi-kun, use your ninken and I'll have the toads ask around-that kid had to have landed somewhere."

The atmosphere was already tense, but when there was a knock at the door and a blond-haired Yamanaka peered in, he was met with several grim expressions. "...I take it this is a bad time?"

\------------

Groaning, Kira's head ached fiercely. He never felt pain often as it healed quickly enough, but he hated it when he did. It was like when he thought of Kushina, and Minato gently explaining to him that she went 'bye bye' too. It hurt, a _lot_. He had been only a year old when his mother died, so the pain of loss did not fully register until one day Team Minato went on a mission, and Obito didn't come back.

And later on, Rin didn't come back.

...and now Kushina wasn't coming back.

A choked sob built in Kira's throat, the sound escaping, but he forced back the tears when his eyes began to sting. Crying had never done him any good-it didn't make the ache go away, and it didn't bring back those he cared about. Kira sniffled, and he hated how his shoulders still shook. He wrapped his arms around himself just to pretend it was the cold he was shaking from, even though the forest he was in was warm.

He didn't recognize this place, but that was no surprise. He'd never been outside of Konoha, and had only ever gone to one training ground before. A breeze caused the leaves to rustle, and Kira bit his lip. _Don't be scared, you're going to be in the Academy soon._ He focused on the indignation that he'd already have been older than most students, but now he'd have to wait until the building re-opened and he'd be even older. _Though if I get put into the same class as Itachi-san it might not be so bad._ At least then one person in class wouldn't hate him for what he was.

Kira let one arm fall to his side, while the other touched his cheek. The whisker marks on his face were just supposed to be a side-effect of being a Jinchuuriki's son, like the ones on Naruto's face. Or...were they? Kira frowned, he really hoped Kushina hadn't sealed Kyuubi into Naruto, and that it was just a quirk like it's supposed to be.

And deep down, Kira hoped it was him, just so Naruto wouldn't have to grow up knowing the same mistreatment. Kira could take it though, he'd spent most of his life being subjected to dirty glares and scowls, being hit or having things thrown at him by 'accident'. _Though if I want to protect Naruto-tan, I need to get stronger for him_. Minato was going to be busy with the village soon enough, and Kira wanted to make his step-father proud of him by taking care of his baby brother. _But first I need to get back to them._

With that objective in mind, Kira began to make his way through the forest. He had honestly no idea where he was going or what kind of animals could by lurking just beyond the bend, but to his seven-year-old mind, the main focus was _gotta get back to Naruto-tan and Otou-san_. Kushina would always be 'Chichi-ue' to him.

The longer he walked, the more the air felt...different. It felt nice, for one thing. Serene also came to mind, but Kira was also worried about how his chakra might affect this place. The seal he'd gotten on his back kept the fouler aspect of his chakra at bay when it became too much, but that didn't mean it was sealed off completely. Animals still couldn't stand being near him because the sickly aspect of his chakra was unpleasant to be around. People couldn't feel it, but lot of good that did him.

 

Kira glanced worriedly at his bare feet, but thankfully the grass hadn't started to rot. If he could find a town, then maybe he could find a way to get back to Konoha. He touched the other seal Minato had put on his forearm-'to get to his side' he said-but nothing happened. It just made him pick up the pace; something could be wrong and he wanted to be there to help them!

As a seven-year-old, it didn't quite cross his mind to think that being transported to an unknown dimension meant _he_ was in trouble.

Just that as he kept walking with no end in sight, Kira began to feel frustrated than sad. Where were the roads? What had the summoning done? Did he screw it up in some way? _Maybe I shouldn't have acted without thinking_. Pausing, Kira took his own advice and found the nearest tree. He inspected it for moss, but could find no sign of it, and when he checked several others, he found them to be lacking it. _Okay, no moss means I can't tell which way is North, and if I can't find a river then it means I'm in deep somewhere, but where?_

Kira bit his lip, furrowing his brow as he realized what had been bugging him. This place was serene and peaceful...and way too quiet. No birds, no buzzing, no _anything_ -not even the wind had blown by him again. It pointed to something unnatural, yet what that was he couldn't be sure of, though it did put him on guard in case things turned _un_ peaceful.

Soon, Kira began to feel a creeping sensation of being watched, but he couldn't see anything in front of him. Slowly it dawned on him, and he felt very nervous about looking over his shoulder. He took a deep breath-and looked.

...it...Kira wasn't quite sure _what_ he was staring at, as fear was replaced with confusion. It was definitely a bit bigger than he was, which made him edge back a little, but it was gooey-looking, and pale, with strange eye stalks and blue stripes-

"Hello, little one. Are you lost?"

Kira stared harder. _It can talk_ , he thought somewhat baffled, but gave himself a mental shakedown because _of course_ it could talk! He'd seen Pakkun, so asking 'are you a summons' was thrown out the window, which left only answering the...he still wasn't sure what this creature was. "I...yes." he muttered, his cheeks heating bashfully. "I'm trying to get back to Konohagakure, do you know the way there?"

The feelers on the front of the summons' face twitched, and when it spoke Kira felt like it was gently amused. "I would tell you, but it would be difficult to point the way even with my lack of arms."

Kira frowned. "And why is that?"

"Simply put, child, you're no longer on the Elemental Nations plain, you're in Shikkotsu Forest."

The brunet's eyes widened, his heart beating just a bit quicker. "You mean...the summoning technique flung me into another _dimension?_ "

"I'm afraid so, little one. Who though taught you such a technique without explaining the consequences of it?" The create sounded reprimanding, and it made Kira duck his head.

"I watched my otou-san do the technique to summon his toads, and he promised he would let me sign the contract like he and ero-oji did-I didn't know I actually had to sign it or that _this_ would happen!" he felt like freaking out, as it was finally beginning to dawn on him just how screwed he was. He was in another freaking dimension for crying out loud!

The creature kept its tone calm and soothing. "Do not fret, child, for if you are here then it means you have an affinity for slugs."

Kira blinked, and almost said _but not foxes_ though he re-framed from doing so since it would lead to questions he didn't want to get into. "So...it means you'll help me?"

"Yes."

There was a pause as they stared at each other, and Kira belatedly realized what it wanted. "Please help me?"

It sounded amused once more. "You just needed to ask. Now stand back, I am going to reverse summon my mistress and she will help you back home."

Kira nodded, and stepped back just to be safe as he wasn't sure about what happened. A puff of smoke appeared beside the slug, and Kira jumped as a cranky woman's voice rang out.

"What'd you interrupt me for, Katsuyu-san? I was just about to turn my luck around!"

"I have come across a potential summoner due to...unorthodox methods, but first he needs to return home." 'Katsuyu', as Kira guessed was the slug's name, explained.

The smoke cleared, and Kira could clearly see now a blonde woman in a green open coat and a diamond mark on her forehead. Something about her seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. When she looked at _him_ though she froze right up. Kira tensed just as much, but unlike the how the villagers looked at him, she seemed more surprised and...sad?

Kira blinked, his form relaxing cautiously, though he was greatly confused when she mumbled something which sounded suspiciously like 'Nawaki' under her breath. "No, my name's Kira."

The woman furrowed her brow, but after a moment her eyes widened. "Kushina-chan's boy?" Kira nodded though it hurt to hear her name, but the woman glowered. "What are you doing here- _how_ did you get here?"

Kira rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Well, I did the summoning technique without signing a contract, and I ended up here."

The blonde rubbed her brow. "Who in their right mind would let a child do that?"

Kira bit his lip. "It's not Otou-san's fault, I watched him do the hand seals, and I practiced really hard-"

"Wait," The woman interrupted, a frown on her face, "I thought you called Minato-kun 'nii-san'? When did he become 'Otou-san?'"

Kira didn't really want to say, but he needed the help. "Since Chichi-ue died a week ago."

That made the woman freeze right back up. "You mean...it wasn't just a rumor? The Kyuubi escaped?" Kira nodded reluctantly. "And...Kushina-chan's really...dead?" With each word, the blonde's face grew more and more shadowed. Kira was a bit frightened even as he nodded. The woman turned away from him- right before her fist broke the tree she punched in half. "Damn it!"

Kira jumped at the cry, and scurried to hide behind Katsuyu as Tsunade continued punching at the trees. "She's...just as scary as I remember." It was difficult to drudge up the memories since the blonde had been gone for some time, but it was there and she was _scary_.

"Fear not, little one, I'm sure she'll be more reasonable when she calms back down." Katsuyu said wisely, but it was offset by a the sound of ripping bark and a tree sailing across the forest.

Kira sat down, and hoped Tsunade wouldn't accidentally throw one of those trees at _them._

\--------------

Not even a week went by and another crisis had just happened. It might not be as earth-shattering as Kyuubi tearing apart the village, but the fact Minato just might to look for Kira likely would. The fact it had been almost a day and still no sign of Kira having been in any of the summoning dimensions yet did not bode well on him being located soon.

No sooner had the thought crossed Sarutobi's mind when a puff of smoke appeared on the floor. Everyone tensed, but when the smoke cleared, it revealed a familiar white and blue slug in miniature. It spit a scroll onto the floor, and Jiraiya picked it up. His brow rose as he read it, until finally he closed it and shook his head, appearing amused by what had been in the scroll's contents.

"Call off your ninken's search, Kakashi-kun." he said.

Taji blinked, her expression hopeful and relieved. She had not been thrilled with the possibility tossed around that Minato might need to be kept in a medically induced coma until Kira was located. "Has he been found?"

"Kid got lucky, turns out his affinity was with Katsuyu-sama." Jiraiya replied.

Biwako narrowed her eyes in thought. "Even if he is with Tsunade-chan now, I find it unlikely she would return here just to drop off a child."

"That's what she said in the letter." Jiraiya said dryly. "She'll come as far as the town just at Konoha's border, but that's it."

"That's still half a day's journey." Hiruzen rubbed his chin. "I'll assemble a small team to go retrieve him immediately."

Taji frowned in concern. "Do you think there will be trouble, Sandaime-sama?"

"There hasn't been much chatter from the other villages, but I wouldn't put it past them to have spies at the ready should Kira be spotted outside Konoha." Sarutobi explained grimly.

"Then, if I may, I'd like to volunteer myself to be a part of this mission." Kakashi said, though he did not miss the incredulous gaze Taji sent him. "As you said, Taji-san, you are ANBU too, and quite frankly I'd rather deal with Kira-kun-he's at least not going to be crying at random times anymore." he might have muttered the final bit, but Taji smirked at him.

It was only a stern glance from Biwako which kept the younger medi-nin from making a smart remark at his expense.

Though with that out of the way, the Sandaime and Kakashi departed, but not long after Minato began to unexpectedly stir, blinking as he blearily glared at Jiraiya.

"Really? You just had to knock me out again?" he muttered.

Jiraiya shrugged. "It was the quickest way to get you to calm down." he crossed his arms. "So, you calm or do I have to knock you out again?"

_This can't be good for my health,_ Minato might have thought it, but he didn't dare say it in case Taji or Biwako took it seriously and made him stay in this room for another several days. Instead, he said, "I'm calm, I'm relaxed, I'm serene even as I plot how to use my seals to get to Kira-tan faster." he caught the suspicious glance Biwako gave him and he held his hands up defensively. "I was joking, as unfortunately Taji-san was right; my chakra still feels a bit off from suddenly not having another life to stabilize," he peered over at Naruto, who was still sleeping soundly; which was a stark contrast to how he was during the night-this kid had a real set of lungs on him, "but don't think I'm not gonna go find Kira-tan myself if he isn't back here by the end of the day."

"Then it is a good thing Hiruzen is sending out an ANBU squad-including Kakashi-kun-to retrieve him." Biwako said wryly. "Though I think you'll still have to wait until early morning at the very least."

Minato blinked, still a bit thrown by how one moment Biwako could be criticizing him and making what almost sounded like a joke the next. Though he decided it was better to think on that latter, and right now focus on keeping himself from so badly wanting to freak out by what happened earlier. _Kira-tan actually managed to get the summoning technique right. I'd be proud if I weren't so stressed out-he must have been really paying attention to the hand seals. Okay, focus-they said a team is being sent out, which means Kira-tan isn't that far away what with implying he'd be here by morning. And once he's back I can make sure he doesn't leave my sight until he's thirty._

The blond knew that was a bit extreme, and reluctantly admitted to even himself that he couldn't keep both Kira and Naruto away from harm unless he kept them from the outside world entirely. Which unfortunately Kira didn't seem remotely interested in, as he was all for going to Academy-which he _should_ have been able to enter last year if it weren't for the fact the administrators stressed that he was _Kushina's_ son and not Minato's when the man brought it up as Hokage-and Naruto likely wouldn't appreciate being cooped up if he was anything like Kushina.

_I can get used to idea of letting the chicks leave the nest later, right now I'm going to focus all my worry into making sure no one hurts them._ And so he did, which incidentally caused him to let out a small chuckle at thought of any unfortunate bastard that would get caught in his traps. _No one_ would mess with his kids as long as he was still around!

Minato was brought out of his plotting by someone knocking on the door, and he concentrated his sensory just enough that felt the familiar chakra of his old teammate on the other side of the door. "It's okay, it's just Mikoto-chan; you can let her in."

Taji nodded and opened the door, with Mikoto raising a brow at Minato. "Just?" she repeated dryly. "Don't I feel special." she said sardonically, before nodding to the white-haired man. "Jiraiya-sensei," she gave a slight bow to Biwako, inhibited by the fact she was holding an infant in her arms, and Itachi clinging to her skirt, "Biwako-sama."

"Mikoto-chan." Both Jiraiya and Biwako returned.

Minato peered at the infant. "Kushina-chan," he winced at the pang he felt at saying her name, "told me you had your baby not too long ago."

"Yes," Mikoto stepped forward and let Minato see the infant that was sleeping as peacefully as Naruto, "this is Sasuke."

The blond raised a brow this time. "Interesting name for a girl."

Mikoto scoffed, but there was something amused in her gaze. "Sasuke's a boy, and it's not like you're one to talk, pretty boy." she retorted. She glanced around, furrowing her brow. "Where's Kira-kun though?"

Minato coughed lightly. "There was a...slight mishap." he said sheepishly.

"I wouldn't call you freaking out over it 'slight'." Jiraiya said.

Minato glowered, but focused back on Mikoto as she began to frown. "Kira-tan reminded me of the promise I made to about signing the Toad Contract, and well, he showed me he could do the jutsu before signing anything." Now both of Mikoto's brow were raised. "And now Kira-tan's with Tsunade-sama because he has an affinity for slugs, go figure."

The Uchiha woman didn't say anything as she bemusedly processed the information, but Itachi gave Minato the most unimpressed stare a five-year-old could muster.

"You lost him." he stated simply.

Minato deflated under the stare, and he heard Taji's muffled snickers. "Yeah, well, I'd have liked to see _you_ do any better." he was mildly surprised and amused that after a moment of what appeared to be deep introspection, Itachi nodded.

"I accept, Namikaze-tama."

The blond sighed. "I've known you since you were a baby, Itachi-kun. There's no need to be so formal, and it sounds kind of weird coming from a five-year-old." Though honestly, while the kid was showing promise as a ninja, he'd seemed a bit...off in the past year.

The toddler, who honestly seemed to be acting more mature than Kira, nodded again. "Okay, Minato-tama."

Minato didn't bother to sigh, which undoubtedly would have been drowned out by the chuckling that followed from everyone else in the room.

\--------

Kira rocked on the balls of his feet, stomach grumbling as he waited for the young woman who called herself 'Shizune' to scrounge up enough ryo from her purse. Tsunade had looked mildly annoyed that Kira hadn't been able to eat what she put in front of him at the restaurant they stopped at, but let it go when she undoubtedly remembered just why he couldn't eat anything without knowing the ingredients.

So here they were, in a shop near a casino that Tsunade planned on going to while letting Shizune take Kira back to the motel. Kira was in a bit of a daze, as no one was giving him dirty looks in the store. Something caught under a display case caught his attention; it was a ryo. Tilting his head, Kira picked it up and blinked as he saw Tsunade eyeing the brightly blinking machine by the door, scowling slightly.

_What's wrong with this thing?_ Kira wondered, though when he saw the slot in the machine where the ryo went, the brunet figured the only way to find out was to try it. Kira pulled the lever, and watched the little symbols behind the glass spin before all three stopped on a seven. The child stared as the pouch at the bottom of the machine began to fill with money, and abruptly he felt two hands on his shoulder and whirled around. Kira's eyes widened as Tsunade looked at him incredulously.

"How did you do that?" she demanded. Kira quickly recounted that he'd just found the ryo on the floor and wanted to know why she was scowling at the machine. The woman reached into her pocket and dug out another coin. "Think you can do that again?"

Shizune's expression turned disbelieving. "Tsunade-sama! You can't be seriously asking him to gamble for you."

Tsunade peered over Kira's shoulder at the money. "You know, I think that's almost enough to pay off one of those debts you've been complaining about."

_That_ got the dark-haired girl's attention, causing her to smile at Kira encouragingly. "Go on then, I'll buy you another kakigori."

Kira smiled slightly at the mention of the syrupy treat and nodded. "Okay!" he plucked the coin from Tsunade's hand and put it into the machine. He pulled the lever again and watched as the three sevens lined up, causing the machine once more to start blinking rapidly and coins to spill out of it once more. "Oouf!" Kira gasped as he was picked up and tossed into the air.

Tsunade was grinning as she caught him. "You just knocked my debt down by 20, 000 ryo!"

"Uh, ma'am?" The shopkeeper began hesitantly. "Is this child in your custody? I can't allow you to claim it otherwise."

Tsunade froze. She cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes at Kira for a moment, before he found himself leaning against her shoulder as she spun around. "Of course he! I'm his godmother and I'm taking care of him until his mother comes to pick him up!" she glared at the shopkeeper. "If that's not enough, his father is also my cousin!"

The shopkeeper raised their hands nervously. "No problems here, ma'am. Will there be anything else?"

"A bag to carry the cash in."

"Right away, ma'am!"

"And don't call me ma'am!"

Kira was immensely confused, wondering if what just happened was good or bad. Tsunade and Shizune were happy, but the cashier had clearly been cowering by the end of it. There was also the fact Tsunade had lied he took issue with. "Minato-nii is my step-father, not my mother, and Chichi-ue was your distant cousin. Also, Mikoto-oba is my godmother, not you."

"Well that's gonna change, kid." Tsunade ruffled his hair, and Kira struggled to hold onto his kakigori. "As your closest relative I name myself your godmother." she pointed at herself proudly, as if that officiated it. Kira wasn't sure how it worked, as when Kushina asked Mikoto to be his new godmother after his first one died, that's all they seemed to do-just talk and it was done. Well, maybe Mikoto wouldn't be upset, she still had Naruto.

"Um, okay, but what about the other stuff?" he asked.  
"You wanna be a ninja, don't you, kid?" The blonde asked and Kira nodded. "Well, sometimes on missions you'll need to...skirt around the truth a little, make it seem like your lie isn't _actually_ a lie. What I said to that cashier was the truth...from a certain perspective."

Shizune frowned as she walked up to Kira's other side, the ryo bag over one shoulder. "Gambling, lying...I don't think these are things we should be teaching a child."

"Hey, you were right there goading him along." Tsunade retorted, causing the younger woman to sigh.

"It's okay, Shizune-san, I will only use these skills when I need them." Kira said solemnly.

Shizune's eye twitched. "Yeah, somehow that's not making things better."

Kira shrugged, and scooped another piece of his shaved ice treat into his mouth. "Tsunade-oba, I thought you were going to that bright, loud place?"

The blonde scowled at the 'oba' but focused on the question itself-after all, he'd just won big for her. "I was, but first I'm gonna get this money converted into paper." she smirked. "It's not exactly easy to roll around in coins."

"That's weird." Kira said bluntly.

Tsunade scowled at him this time. "Yeah, well, _you're_ weird." she retorted, and Shizune slapped her forehead.

Kira huffed as he took another piece from his treat. When they arrived back at their motel, he found himself stopping as Tsunade held out her arm in front of him. He glanced up at her, and found the blonde staring at the door with a narrowed gaze. Shizune's eyes narrowed too and set the bag down gently before pulling Kira back with her. Kira blinked as when Shizune reached into her coat, she pulled out a kunai. _Did she always have that?_

Tsunade opened the door, and closed it behind her. Kira leaned forward, but Shizune kept him from going in closer. He jumped as the sounds of punching and things smashing emitted from the room. Muffled yells and shouts came next, before it abruptly cut off. The door opened and the blonde didn't look any less pissed off as behind her there was a pile of shinobi in white animal masks on the floor. "I think it's for you, kid."  
Kira furrowed his brow, but then he spotted the silver hair from near the bottom. "Ero-nii!" he ducked under Shizune's arm and dashed to the pile. He knelt down in front of Kakashi and patted him on the cheek. "Ero-nii, are you alright? Did Tsunade-oba hurt you badly?"

Kakashi groaned, his mask skewered that his eye was visible and narrowed in pain. "Don't call me that." he muttered. Kira tilted his head, what else was he supposed to call him?

Near the top of the pile, an ANBU with a bird mask shifted to roll onto the floor. "It's good to see you're alright, obocchama."

Another in a cat mask nodded, purple hair disheveled. "Yes," she gasped out, "though you will have to give us a minute to prepare ourselves for departure."

Kira blinked, but shrugged. "Okay." he walked out and held up his empty kakigori cup. "Can we get more sweets?"

Tsunade scowled down at the ANBU before plastering on a smile for Kira. "Sure, kid, let them pick up their wounded pride." she glared at the pile. "And that's what you get for trying to sneak up on us. Don't think of trying it again."

The pile groaned.

Tsunade grinned at the brunet. "I think they got the message."


	4. Getting Back To Normal Isn't Easy

It was...uncomfortable walking through the streets, to say the least. The damage was still being cleared away, but it wasn't _as_ bad as when he'd look out the window of his hospital room. And after both his freak out and Kira's large use of chakra, they had to stay one more day in the building.

Perhaps it was ultimately for the best, because the memorial had been scheduled on the 19th, and he didn't think he could handle it. Knowing that Kushina was gone, but not knowing _why_. The meeting with the Yamanaka specialist hadn't yielded results, since both his and Kira's memories of the event were blocked right up, and when pushed all they got was a headache. And Minato really didn't wanted to leave his children alone, even if Taji and Kakashi would have looked after them.

Walking along the street, he caught a glimpse of the Academy already having people working on rebuilding it. Lessons would either continue elsewhere, or students in clans would have their education continued at home until the Academy was open once more. Civilian students would have to do without unless their parents could spare money for a tutor, but honestly, with the fact everyone was pitching in to recover that seemed unlikely.

Minato sighed. Getting the students all on even ground was something he'd been working on, but it would have to be put on hold until he was reinstated. He noticed another person smile at him, looking relieved that he was alive. It was a reflex by now to smile back politely, but the second the other person looked away-it dropped from his face.

Every time someone smiled at him, the moment they thought he wouldn't see, they glared at either Kira or Naruto. Every. Single. _Time_. He glanced at his side, where Taji was pointedly keeping her gaze on Naruto but saw the tightness at the corners of her mouth, while Kira was glaring at the ground.

Minato bit his tongue from snapping at the villagers, and only looked concerned at Kira. "I can still say something."

Kira glanced up at him, his gaze softening. "No, it's better than before, I think they know what'll happen if they hurt us now."

Ah. Minato glanced at the villagers around them again, noting that while many were chancing to glare at his sons, the others were trying their best to simply ignore them. Word must have gotten out then about what happened to the people who tried to kill his children in the hospital.

Even in his presence before the Kyuubi attack someone would try to 'accidentally' trip Kira, or 'accidentally' knock him over. Now though, while everyone still knew what Kira was, the fact Minato was more than willing to crack down on them stayed their hands.

They knew he wasn't like Kushina, who would retalliate against any threats to her son, but couldn't make them stop. _He_ , on the other hand, _would_. Minato wasn't going to lose anyone else, especially not his children.

Though he did wish that when Kira relayed to him how he tried to use the locator seal on him, that the blond mentioned earlier to the child he needed to channel chakra _into_ it, rather than just simply touch the locator. It slipped Minato's mind at the time when he'd put the seal on him to tell him that, as Kira wouldn't have known _how_ to activate it.

As his thoughts wandered into seals, Minato grimaced as he knew what he needed to do when they got to the apartment they were going to be staying in. He still felt uneasy with letting anyone near his kids, _especially_ after Kira's little 'adventure', so he decided to check both Kira and Naruto when they arrived himself.

Minato glanced at Naruto, and once more hoped his whiskers were just a side-effect of being a Jinchuuriki's son. He knew Kira's whisker markings _weren't_ , so that wasn't exactly a good comparison to make.

"Hokage-sama," Taji's voice broke him out of his thoughts, "are you feeling well? Do you wish to return to the hospital?"

Minato's eye twitched at the mention of _that place_. "No, I'm fine, just...lost in thought."

Taji nodded, but then her expression scrunched in disapproval. "I hope you're not thinking about work, Sandaime-sama has it under control."

Minato found it best not to mention his thoughts on the Academy. "No, I wasn't." he replied, but not too quickly to arise suspicion. "Although," his views on the Academy lead him to glancing down at Kira once more, and yet another thing he hadn't tried hard enough on to accomplish, "it has come to my attention a certain someone would be very far behind in Academy lessons."

Kira blinked, his eyes widening as he looked up at Minato, something earnest and tentatively hopeful in his expression. "You mean...I get to go to the Academy when it opens?"

Minato clicked his tongue, as he didn't want to crush the boy's spirit but couldn't deny how far behind he'd be. "No," he said gently, "or at least, not in _this_ semester. You can go next term, but just think-you'll be in the same class as Itachi-kun!" he furrowed his brow when Kira grimaced. "I thought you liked him?"

"He's...okay I guess." Kira shrugged, looking unsure. "I'll just be so much older, and I want to be a ninja so bad." his eyes were full of determination. "I want to be strong so I can protect you and Naruto-chan."

"I'll make you another deal," Minato found it easier to get the wording right now that he knew his son had his motivation, "you get through your first year in the top scores, I'll let you take the exam to move into your rightful age category. Deal?"

Kira's features lit up, and for the first time in a long while he actually grinned. "You got a deal, dattebaro!"

Minato almost tripped as the word hit him right in the feels. His smile froze, but since Kira didn't seem to notice that he'd used his own variation on Kushina's verbal tick, Minato decided not to bring it up. _Though it looks like he inherited your quirk after all_. "That's...that's great. Make sure to do your best then."

Kira nodded rapidly. "I swear I will, I-" he stopped, and frowned suddenly. "Wait, how am I supposed to prepare if I don't even know what to do?"

 _Well, now I know what some of my time off is going to be_. Minato's smile relaxed. "You don't think I'd leave you high and dry, did you? I'll show you some of the basics for the beginner students, and a few katas that the older ones learn so you won't be clueless." he grinned. "And helping you will certainly help me get back into peak physical condition."

Taji, who had been silently listening and amused at points, decided this was the time to chime in. "Though don't think that's going to keep you from your own training regiment, Hokage-sama."

Minato chuckled uneasily. "No, of course not, wouldn't dream of it."

Taji raised a brow, but only smiled and didn't comment on it. She cooed down at Naruto as the infant squirmed and mewled before snuggling into his blanket.

Minato's smile turned sad as he looked at Taji and Naruto. As nice and helpful as Taji was, he sincerely wished it was Kushina holding their son and cooing over him as she had done with Kira.

He shook his head, chasing away the thoughts when he saw Kira frowning in worry at him. He tried to beam at him, but they both likely knew that it wasn't working.

\-----

Minato hadn't grown up with much, being sent to the orphanage with only vague memories left of his parents, so the fact the apartment only had one bedroom, a small bathroom and a kitchenette adjacent with a small living room was still more than sharing a single space with up to sixteen boys.

He didn't know much of what Kira thought as he looked around the cramped space, but if he had any negative thoughts he kept them to himself. After all, not having his own room wasn't impeding anything or endangering them-if anything, this let Minato keep _more_ of an eye on them, and let Kira keep an eye on Naruto in turn.

The blond didn't think Kira needed to protect _him_ so much, but Minato found it quite adorable Kira had such strong conviction. Despite how much of his personality and appearance were his mother's, Kushina's resolve certainly showed through Kira at times.

Kira slipped into the bedroom, but poked his head back out a moment later. "I think someone's living here already. There's a couple of boxes in here."

Minato furrowed his brow, and Taji quickly spoke up. "While you and Kira-kun were recovering from your appointment with the Yamanaka, Kakashi-san went ahead and gathered up what he could salvage from your home. Your house wasn't demolished, but it will take some time to rebuild the part that was."

"I see." Minato muttered. He followed after Kira, and gingerly knelt in front of the boxes. They weren't marked, and the blond breathed in reassuringly to himself. The first box he opened was full of clothing. He dug through, his fingers pulling out a very small shirt that would be big enough for a child. "Here, you can wear this for now." he handed the red shirt to Kira, and pulled out shorts for him as well.

It was the other box though that gave him trouble. It was full of framed pictures, a photo album, a few plush toys, a book on child care, a camera...and a red scarf.

Minato picked the scarf up, blinking rapidly as he remembered how Kushina took up knitting just to make this for Naruto. She'd felt guilty that she had only gotten Kira goggles for his first birthday, which honestly hadn't been very inspired-or fit right, as they had been too big. "Do you remember how she'd spend hours trying to get the stitching right?"

Kira leaned against his shoulder. "Yeah." he snickered briefly. "Then she'd say bad words when she stabbed her fingers."

Minato chuckled softly. He heard a quiet coo, and glanced up at Taji, blinking once more as he flushed. "Oh, I'm sorry-I-I keep forgetting that you're here. And you're doing so much to help me."

Taji shook her head. "There's no need to apologize, Hokage-sama. I understand your both mourning, and seeing these things would...bring back memories." she said sympathetically.

Minato resisted wincing. Being pitied was not the image he wanted. He _needed_ to be strong for his kids. "I see." he still said in vague agreement. He was quiet for a moment, but then he centered himself on what he needed to accomplish, to just get over and find out once and for all. "Taji-san, move aside Naruto-tan's blanket. I...I need to check for...something."

Kira stiffened, curling his knees to his chest as he rested against the leg of the bed. Taji sighed deeply, and Minato didn't doubt they both knew what he was going to be looking for.

"Is," Kira started, pausing long enough for Minato to glance at him, allowing him to see how distressed the boy was, "is it going to hurt him?"

"No." Minato assured him. "Taji-san is only going to channel enough of her chakra to make Naruto-tan's activate momentarily." he hesitated, but nodded to the woman.

Taji nodded back and gently lifted Naruto against her shoulder, pulling the blanket down so his back and stomach were visible. If there was a seal, they would likely be in either area, as the abdomen and lower back were parallel to where the chakra coils were located. The woman rubbed Naruto's back, her fingers gently glowing green.

Minato kept a close eye on the areas...but nothing happened. He blinked and nodded, causing Taji to cut off her chakra flow. "I guess this really does mean the whiskers are just a side-effect."

In fact, he felt immensely relieved to know that his children weren't-

Minato froze, his eyes widening as he realized that no, he was celebrating too soon. His expression threatened to crack, his eyes closing as he felt a heaviness settle over him. He glanced down at Kira, who stared back with a resignment on his face that didn't suit a child.

"It's me then, isn't it?" he asked quietly, his pale skin only growing paler.

Minato bit the inside of his cheek. "Well, it might not be. Kushina-chan still could've sealed Kyuubi back into herself."

"I'm the one who already has a seal." Kira replied softly.

"We...don't know that." Minato said gently as he knelt down next to Kira. "I promise, no matter what, things will be okay."

Kira stared at hm, at his smile and the hopefulness he radiated, and nodded tentatively. The child shuffled onto his knees, turning to the side and pulling up his shirt, allowing Minato to see the area on his back where the seal lay dormant. Kira clutched at Minato's hand, and the blond held it securely.

"Okay, now I want you to focus, find the energy inside yourself." Minato instructed. Kira breathed in deeply, closing his eyes. "That's your chakra, _your_ chakra, your _human_ -" he stopped when a seal began to appear on Kira's back.

His chest tightened. The seal had been modified. Instead of only being the four sealing style, there was another pattern over it. _Oh, Kushina..._ Was it because hers had been damaged? Because there had been no other choice? Did she believe he would be able to control Kyuubi better? Did-?

Minato stiffened as he felt his own chakra react as Kira began trembling. _No, what's going on, this shouldn't be happening, what-?_ He gasped as he clutched his stomach with his other hand, folding over in pain. He saw Kira's seal glowing, and a burning churned in his own stomach.

Minato gritted his teeth, and the last thing he heard was Taji screaming their names and Naruto's wailing.

\----

Kira wanted to be strong. He wanted to be strong to protect his family, he wanted to be strong to control his chakra, and now he needed to be strong to keep Kyuubi back like Kushina had. He wasn't happy to be the Jinchuuriki, but better him than Naruto.

At this moment though, Kira didn't want to be strong. He wanted to be a child, he wanted nothing more than to just break down and cry because right now he _alone with the monster itself!_

Kira didn't know if he tapped into the demon's chakra by accident while drawing on his own, but he stood frozen in front of a cage with a paper for 'seal' on it as two menacing red eyes with a vertical slit in them glared down at him.

It snorted disdainfully. **"Such a soft, fragile child you are. She raised you to be weak, no doubt she must be laughing at me now."**

Kira gritted his teeth. He was terrified, but he knew there was only one 'she' who raised him. "Chichi-ue loves me," his voice shook, but he didn't stutter, "you're the one who ruined everything."

It's mouth curled back into an unsettling grin. **"So the meek one has some bark after all. Perhaps you are not a total failure."** It's eyes narrowed dangerously. **"Though watch your tone, _kit_ , for without me you would not exist as you are. In fact, you probably wouldn't exist at all."**

Kira shook his head, clutching his ears as he tried to drown out the voice that echoed around the sewer he was in. "You're a liar!" he snapped. "Chichi-ue used the Seahorse Seal on Haha-ue. Uzumaki Kushina is my father, not you!"

 **"Your mother was weak!"** The monster roared. Kira flinched back, freezing as the eyes bore into him once more. **"She was a sickly, frail woman. My chakra may have deteriorated her body, but you both would have been dead before the seventh month was through. Even with the boost of the Seahorse Seal to strengthen your mother's chakra, it wouldn't have been enough to save either of you."**

"Then why bother helping a human at all?" Kira whispered, cringing as the fox began to laugh, humorousless and bitter.

 **"I hated your _father_ , she and your mother thought they were so _clever_ to think that using the Seahorse Seal would get around any chance of my escape. As I thought you were the only child she would try for, I wanted to teach her a lesson."** It grinned once again. "No matter what she did, I would always be there to ruin things for her. Unfortunately the trick wouldn't work twice, and your _father_ was prepared when I tried to influence that irritating blob that wouldn't stop crying."

Kira scowled. "Naruto-chan is not-" his instinct to come to his brother's defense was thrown off when it struck him just what the fox had said. "Crying? You...you were there too." he said, his eyes widening in realization. "What happened that night? Tell me!"

Kyuubi sneered down at him. **"You have no right to demand anything from me, _kit._ "**

Kira began shaking, angry tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. He wouldn't let them fall, wouldn't let this _monster_ see any weakness, not anymore. "You made me a half-demon to try and hurt Chichi-ue, but this just means I'll be able to handle your chakra better!"

It growled at him. **"You insolent whelp, come into this cage and tell me that."**

Kira stiffened up, but his eyes widened as he felt a larger hand holding his comfortingly. He turned, his gaze incredulous as he found Minato materializing beside him, clutching his stomach, expression scrunched in pain. "Otou-san!"

Kyuubi growled at the title, while Minato was pale and shaking from the pain. **"Ah, it seems that redheaded menace gave me one final insult."** It said haughtily. **"To seal my yang chakra into this cretin."**

"Don't talk about him that way!" Kira shouted, getting more worked up than he'd ever felt before. "Chichi-ue and Haha-ue loved him, and he loves me and Naruto-tan, 'ttebaro!"

It snarled again, eyes narrowed hatefully. **"You even _sound_ like that damn woman!"** It's ears pressed flat against its head. **"There is nothing more to say to you, whelp. Take your new _father_ and _get out!_ "**

Kira reeled back from the force of the roar, but the resulting wind gust sent him flying off his feet, his hand still locked into Minato's, and when he opened his eyes to find himself back in the apartment, that's where the blond's hand still was. Clutched around his. "Otou-san?" he whispered, squinting over at Minato from the floor where he'd collapsed.

Minato was lying beside him, sweat on his brow and he blearily opened his eyes. A strained smile appeared on his lips. "Guess we should have guessed getting rid of Kyuubi was impossible, huh?"

Kira sniffled. "That was a terrible joke." he heard a sharp breath being sucked in, and only then did it register they weren't alone. He frowned and glanced up, his eyes widening when he saw that almost all the ANBU were just outside the door, with Taji struggling to peer in despite being held back, and Kakashi looking much like he wanted to storm in as well.

The only one actually in the room was Jiraiya, who chuckled dryly when Kira looked to him. "I think you gave us all a scare, pipsqueak. Can you tell me what happened?"

Kira glanced at Minato, who still had his face scrunched in pain. The brunet didn't know if the blond heard what Kyuubi said, but Kira had. It took only a moment to come to a decision. _I promised I'd protect you too._ Kira breathed in deeply and gently pulled his hand out of Minato's. "Otou-san had Taji-san check Naruto-chan first, and he wasn't the Jinchuuriki," he whispered, "so that left only me." he didn't emphasize it, because that would draw suspicion. "He still wanted to check me though, and I guess Chichi-ue must have done something to my seal, because...because I tried to only draw my human chakra, but," he didn't need to make himself feel guilty, not when it was as though that's all he felt lately, "but I think I drew on my demon side, which meant Kyuubi's chakra too and it hurt him."

"I see." Jiraiya said, rubbing his chin. He glanced at Minato, and beneath the pained expression, he looked just as guilty as Kira did. "Well, your dad needs his rest, and I'll take a look at your seal this time. The gaki should have known better than to channel his own chakra to get yours flowing."

Kira frowned, but nodded and shuffled to the foot of the bed to let Jiraiya set Minato onto the mattress. The child didn't look up as the man then walked over to the door.

"See? There's no need to panic. Just a little mishap, he's a kid, he didn't know not to draw on too much chakra." Jiraiya's tone was kept purposefully light. "Go back to your duties, I've got it from here." he didn't wait for a reply before closing the door. There was some shuffling, and Kira saw the tail-end of the man putting a seal on the door. "There, we got some privacy now." he narrowed his gaze. "So what's the real story?"

Kira froze, his hands clutching at his knees tightly. "I...I don't know-"

"Kid, you still got a long way to go before you can fool me." Jiraiya replied. "How much of what you just told everyone was bull?"

Minato grimaced. "Watch what you say in front of him." he winced and sat up enough to lean against the wall. "And...I think something else might have happened."

Kira bit his lip. The story he'd given would spread-the chakra signature was too fresh in everyone's mind _not_ to think of Kyuubi. Hopefully it would be too late by then to refute anything. "I found myself in front of the cage where Kyuubi was kept...we yelled at each other, but when it let slip that it knew what happened that night," he saw Minato's focus sharpen, "it still wouldn't say anything. That's when Otou-san appeared, clutching his stomach in pain. Before...before we were forced out, Kyuubi said," he breathed in deeply, "it said that it's yang chakra was sealed in Otou-san."

Minato's eyes widened, his jaw dropping. He looked down at his stomach with something akin to dread on his face. "Sensei, what condition was I in when you found us?"

Jiraiya furrowed his brow, but then they shot up a moment after. "You were a little beat up, but that _nurse_ ," he scowled at the mention of the would-be assassin, "said you weren't in any danger. Are you thinking Kushina-chan really did split the Kyuubi's chakra in half and it healed you?"

"She might have, because at first I didn't think anything of the fact I kept feeling better so quickly. Aside from a few spasms and stressing myself out, I actually feel a lot better-physically speaking." Minato explained. His expression creased in frustration. "If we only had all the facts, then we could know just what happened out there. Why would Kushina seal the Kyuubi's chakra into me too? Was I almost dead and she did it to save me? Did she think I was so far gone and thought I could take it with me?"

"No." Kira said firmly. Minato looked at him surprised, but Kira didn't back down-not on this. "Chichi-ue loved you, she wouldn't want you to die." he looked down at his lap. "I don't want you to die either."

Minato sighed gently. "I'm not going anywhere, Kira, and neither are you." he patted the space beside him. "Taji-san can look after Naruto-tan for now, but I think we both need some rest."

Kira felt his heart speed up, his hope soaring as he realized that Minato wasn't mad. He scrambled onto the bed, all but attaching himself to the blond's side.

Jiraiya shook his head. "Next time you look at your seals, don't forget to put up a privacy barrier." he sighed like he was greatly disappointed, but Minato rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Sensei." he replied. He curled on his side, with Kira cuddled against his chest.

The child felt warm and safe, and deep down he knew it was because he'd just kept his self-appointed promise to protect Minato.

There was shuffling outside, and Kira wouldn't have cared to listen, as it was only Jiraiya giving a half-truth version of what was said, but then-

"Kira's brought nothing but misery, maybe it would have been better if he hadn't been born."

The brunet stiffened, his eyes widening. It had been almost a mutter, but Kira heard Kakashi as though he'd shouted it across the room. He felt the arms around him hold on tighter, more securely, and Kira realized Minato heard it too.

Outside there was a brief silence, but Taji's professional tone was transformed into an angry whisper. "Don't say such things! Kira-kun is only a child."

"You and I have known him since he was born, Kakashi," Jiraiya said quietly, but he sounded very serious, "and all that's happened isn't his fault. Treating him like a scapegoat, do you even realize how much you sound like the villagers?"

"The Kyuubi escaped the same night Kira turned seven. Perhaps it's not fate, but it's no coincidence-and now its sealed inside of him." The young ANBU retorted quietly.

"Probably because Kushina-sama thought Kira-kun could handle it more." Taji said sharply, her tone not raising.

There was another silence, and Kira could only guess as to what was happening in the other room.

Finally, Jiraiya sighed. "Let's save the dramatic stare-downs for when you're not frazzled, okay kids?" he paused, and huffed, probably because he was now being glared at. "Talking behind Kira's back isn't going to solve your issues with him, Kakashi. So unless you're willing to tell a seven-year-old you think he's a mistake, keep this to yourself."

"...hai."

Kira figured that was the end of the conversation, as after that things turned silent, and soon enough he found himself falling asleep for real.

\---------

Minato found himself somewhat baffled the next morning. He still found what Kakashi said about Kira to be out of line, but the teenager was acting as though nothing was wrong. Even more, Taji was acting like nothing happened, though he did catch her sending Kakashi a glare ever now and again. Minato could deduce that neither of them were willing to bring anything up, especially if things would only get worse. He frowned down at his bowl of okayu, grimacing as he took another bite, and caught sight of Kira also frowning into his miso soup.

The blond sighed to himself. _It's not like I can just get Kakashi-kun put on some other duty without giving away what we heard._ He could justify it with pulling rank, but that would only set him back on years of getting Kakashi to open up. The teen hadn't let on he had any issues with Kira before, and the only time he had was when Kira was a baby-but then he'd been just as uncomfortable with Naruto so he thought it was infants in general Kakashi didn't like dealing with.

"O-Otou-san," Kira began, his tone hesitant and he glanced down when Minato looked at him, "can...can I go outside?"

Minato frowned slowly. "By yourself?"

Kira bit his lip. "I'll be right outside the apartment, and I won't be out of sight from the window. I promise, but...but this is really important to me."

Even if it was just letting him outside, the thought of Kira being physically away from him made him uncomfortable. The mishap with the botched summoning technique, for example, and oh how Minato made sure Kira understood afterward that he wasn't allowed to _use_ that jutsu until he was older, and the boy had been a bit too shook up to argue with stalling on signing anything. 

Minato couldn't deny though that being cooped up in an apartment wouldn't be good for a growing boy. Speaking of which, Minato would really need to let Naruto get some fresh air soon as well. "I...guess you can, but Taji-san goes with you, got it?"

"It's fine, I can go with him." Kakashi said, cutting off any reply Taji could give and she glared at him.

Taji huffed as she went back to preparing Naruto's bottle. "Anything to get out of watching a baby, right?"

Kakashi didn't deign to respond, and Minato rubbed his brow. This could be a good thing though, he told himself, now Kira and Kakashi might be able to talk.

The blond nodded. "Be back in half-an-hour, got it?"

Kira nodded, and hurried to finish his breakfast. And just when he finished and began racing out the door, Taji handed Minato his son and the bottle, her smile a bit too cheery.

"Don't think you can get out of caring for Naruto-chan either, Hokage-sama."

Minato felt his brow tick, and didn't know whether he should feel annoyed or amused. He settled for the latter, just because he wanted today to be better than yesterday.

\------

Kira didn't see Kakashi anywhere, but he knew the older boy wouldn't have left him alone. It felt awkward, knowing what he did and yet Kakashi acted like nothing was wrong. _How long has he felt this way?_ In his earliest memories, Kakashi treated him with the same aloofness he gave his teammates, so Kira only supposed even when the older boy began acting nicer that there was nothing wrong. _Should I talk to him about it?_ He shook his head; no, it didn't matter if Kakashi didn't like him, because saying anything would defininitely mess everything up.

He was used to the villagers despising him, what was one more person to add?

The brunet found a tree and struggled to climb onto a low hanging branch. He huffed as he clung to it, wriggling to stand and leaned against the trunk. Kira gritted his teeth and reached up to the branch above him, his fingers curling over the bark and he pulled it down. Kira carefully plucked several leaves from the branch, traces of red and gold signaling that the start of autumn had arrived.

Kira shoved the leaves into his pocket. When he thought he'd be going to the academy like a regular student, he'd asked Minato and Kushina what it was like. Kira hadn't listen much to Minato's explaining, his mind drifting as the blond talked about math and history. Kushina-Kira suppressed a wince-talked more about the practical work involved, and something about a leaf chakra exercise.

The child didn't have access to kunai and shuriken, and he hadn't felt like being kicked out of the library. Leaves were something he could get though, and get them he did! Kira felt his lips quirk up, and he watched his step on his way back to the branch.

 _Crack!_ Kira's eyes widened. The base of the branch had a severe line of bark jutting out. The brunet grabbed the branch he was still holding onto more tightly, and the perch he was standing on gave way. Kira whimpered, hanging awkwardly onto the branch. He nervously felt it bend, but didn't break. His gaze shifted to the window of Minato's apartment, but no one was looking out currently. He opened his mouth, but closed it just as quickly. _I don't need...Kakashi?_ Kira blinked, having caught sight of the teen himself...who was standing sideways on the tree trunk, his face obscured by his mask.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I wanted some leaves," Kira muttered, his fingers stinging as he felt tiny pieces of bark pricking into his hands, "for a chakra thing."

"The leaf concentration exercise." Kakashi said evenly. He held out one hand. "Why don't you take my hand and I'll get you down?"

Kira nodded, but he froze before he could move to do as ordered. A villager had done this to him before. Someone tripped him, and what he thought was a helpful stranger had grabbed his hand-only to feel his hand burning as salt was coated on the palm around his. "No." he whispered, warily eyeing Kakashi's outstretched hand for any signs of white grain. "I can get down by myself."

The older boy sighed heavily. "This is no time to be acting stubborn."

Kira shook his head. He swung his legs up and curled them around the branch. He shuffled until his body was on top of the branch, and he carefully scooted back until he felt the trunk behind him. His eyes glanced down to the ground, and he cringed. It was really far up, and Kira heard his blood rushing through his ears and he closed his eyes tightly. _Just jump. You can do this, you did it before._ Kira bit his lip. There was no one there to catch him this time.

"Kira-kun, what are you doing up there?" The boy blinked, reluctantly glancing down to find Mikoto staring up at him, Sasuke in her arms while Itachi was frowning up at him.

"Uh, I wanted some leaves." The more he said it, the more climbing up to get them seemed stupid. "Did you come to see Otou-san?"

"Yes, but first let's get you down from there." Mikoto said. She handed Sasuke to Itachi and stepped forward until she was standing just underneath him.

"Your help is unnecessary, I can handle this." Kakashi said politely, but there was a curtness in his tone.

Mikoto crossed her arms. "And yet you have not done so." she retorted. Her face softened as she met Kira's eyes, unfurling her arms and held them out. "It's okay, I've got you."

Kira stiffened. In his mind's eye, he remembered being smaller, of finding just swinging on the monkey bars at the park boring. He climbed on top of them, and cried like a baby because he was scared of the height. He'd been left in the care of Team Minato while their sensei and Kushina had both been busy with other things. Kakashi just told him to jump, while Rin tried coaxing him down more gently. Obito though had climbed right up onto the monkey bars and knelt down beside him.

"Say, it's kinda boring up here, ain't it?" he asked casually.

Kira had peered at him, his arms curled over the bars in a death grip. "Scary," he muttered, "too high."

"Too high? This is nothing!" Obito retorted. He pointed up to Hokage Rock. "Go up there and you'll see the _entire village_ , all the way to the gates! Now _that's_ high up." he grinned, while Kira squeaked.

"What are you doing?!" Rin shouted.

"Moron." Kakashi muttered. "Now he'll never come down."

"Don't listen to Bakakashi there," Obito said, "you'll come down eventually." he pinched his index and thumb fingers together. " _Juuuust_ need a little motivation." he gripped the edge of the bars. "Watch this!"

 _"Ahhhh!"_ Kira shrieked, his eyes wide as saucers as without another word Obito had jumped off the ledge of the bar. Despite himself, Kira had looked down, his eyes not comprehending the fact the older boy stood up from the crouch he'd landed in and turned around to grin up at him.

"See? No big deal. If I can do it, so can you." he said, holding his arms out. "What do you say?" Kira frowned, and the other boy's grin softened. "It's okay, I've got you."

Kira clenched his eyes shut, and he'd jumped. Two arms had wrapped around him, his own hands clutching the jacket he'd grabbed onto tightly. "I-I did it."

Brought back to the present, Kira repeated it to himself. _I can do it_. With that, he propelled himself forward. Just as in his memories, he felt two arms catch him, and Kira found himself shaking. _Don't cry, ninjas don't cry_. His feet were set on the ground, and Kira bowed to the woman. "Thank you, Mikoto-san."

Mikoto blinked. "'San'? What happened to 'oba'?"

Kira bit his lip. "Tsunade-oba said she was my godmother now." he explained, watching as Mikoto's brows rose. "Don't worry," he quickly added, "you still have Naruto-ta-" he stopped himself. _Pick one or the other_. "-chan." he corrected himself.

"Well, this is unexpected." Mikoto said bemused. "I guess you won Tsunade-sama over then?"

Kira nodded, but didn't think telling her it was because he'd help pay off her debt was a good idea. Tsunade had certainly stressed for him not to tell anyone. His eyes were drawn to the silent boy still standing just a few feet away. "Itachi-san."

"Kira-tama." The younger boy replied, with Kira's eye twitching at the honorific.

Mikoto though smiled. "Isn't it cute? He's been calling you that since he took up the 'mission' Minato-kun gave him."

Kira sighed, and glanced back to find Kakashi had landed on the ground. Kira's eyes were downcast and he avoided looking at the older boy. "I'm going to stay out here for a little bit longer."

"Okaa-san, may I stay with Kira-tama?" Itachi's request not only surprised Mikoto, but Kira too.

The woman's face softened, reaching down to pick up Sasuke. "Alright, but you both should come inside soon." she narrowed her eyes sternly at them. "And no climbing anymore trees."

Kira nodded seriously. He glanced at Itachi, who stared solemnly back. The younger boy's attitude had changed in the past year, and it was a little off-putting, but then again Kira really couldn't criticize that. "You think our brothers will get along?"

"We do." Itachi said.

Kira huffed. He glanced over to Kakashi, but wasn't surprised to find he'd drifted back out of sight. "Wanna play ninja?"

Itachi's brows knitted together. "Why?"

Kira frowned for a moment. _Because I need to feel normal,_ but instead he said, "You're gonna be in the academy this year, aren't you? And if the council doesn't mess things up again, so will I."

"I see." Was all the other boy said, but Kira was used to hearing his short answers. "Why a ninja? Why not something else?"

Kira frowned. Why not...? He closed his eyes for a moment. "I know the villagers will never like me," he whispered, "and really, I don't care if they do, but I love Otou-san and Naruto-chan. I want to be a ninja so I can be strong." His hands balled into fists. "So I don't have to see another person I love leave and never come back."

Itachi was silent for a long moment. "So for them, you'd fight and die?"

Kira stared at him. He knew the boy was five, which was what made the question so strange, but Kira's eyes hardened. "Yes." he said firmly. "To keep Otou-san and Naruto-chan safe, I would fight until I had nothing left."

"Have you ever seen a dead body?"

The previous question was odd, but this was out of the blue in its darkness. It was something Kira also had experience with. "Yes."

"I have too."

A silence stretched between them, but Kira didn't find it to be awkward. Kira only nodded in understanding; he didn't ask who Itachi saw, and the other boy didn't ask him either. "I guess I should be asking 'do you wanna train together?'"

Itachi looked around. "Here?" Kira nodded, and the other boy frowned. "With what?"

Kira felt his lips quirking up. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a leaf. "What do you know about chakra control?"

Itachi looked at Kira for a moment, then at the leaves with an unreadable expression. Finally, he said, "What do you want to know first?"


	5. Kira Makes A Not-Friend

Thing were quiet, which Kira gladly welcomed since for the past two months he'd been waking up early with Minato to take care of Naruto-who he loved and adored but that baby was _loud_ \- and then Kira would do the katas Minato showed him until Taji came by in the morning.

Minato would help Kira with his other studies afterwards; history was still quite boring to him, but he did soak up tidbits about the Uzumaki and Namikaze, which in turn lead him to view certain things in a different light.

Kira wasn't allowed to move onto real kunai or shuriken, so he had to make do with Taji bringing him a wooden set to practice hitting makeshift targets with. And given how cramped the apartment was, Kira needed to stand at one end of the room with the mark on the other side.

Still, it was nice to be able to do things with Minato as father and son, rather than just as brothers. It just felt...more special, more real...that Minato really meant things were going to be okay, rather than it just being a platitude. Granted, things were still strained with Kakashi, but Taji was at least nice.

And today was special for another reason.

Kira finished off his rolled omelette, while Minato was grimacing through spoonfuls of porridge. The child swung his legs under his chair somewhat impatiently, and heard mewling before glacing to the counter where Taji set the formula down and began patting Naruto's back to burp him. Kakashi was leaning against the window as usual, though Kira had heard some debate last night about if the teenager would be accompanying them today, considering just _where_ they were going.

And given there was still some sourness over Kakashi's sharingan, having him walk into a compound with literally every Uchiha in the village wouldn't be a good idea, or so Minato argued. The blond hadn't exactly been thrilled to be so out of the loop, especially since Kira heard him muttering about looking foolish after Mikoto told him what happened in his absence so far.

Minato had won in the end, and Kira wondered who would be lurking in the shadows this time around. Kira wasn't optimistic about his chances of being liked, but as long as they didn't think Naruto was a monster, he really didn't care. The few times Minato took him and Naruto outside for fresh air proved word spread fast though.

Now that they knew who the Jinchuuriki was (as far as they knew), Naruto was just considered the son of the Hokage. The glares Kira recieved were nothing new, and the fact they only grew more hateful wasn't any different than before.

What the villagers thought didn't matter to him anyway.

When Minato stood with his bowl and set it in the sink brought, it caught Kira's attention. The blond's specialized training regiment and very restricted diet had helped work off the baby fat, but there was still a bit of roundness to his stomach. "Are you excited to be moving back home today?" Minato smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Kira didn't blame him; it hurt less to think of Kushina when they weren't constantly bombarded with pictures of her or her things. Neither of them had been willing to take anything more than the scarf she made for Naruto out of the box, after all. "For the space I am."

Minato chuckled, and he came around the table to ruffle the child's hair. "Yeah, lots of space for training." he agreed, and looked over at Kakashi. "It won't be too much trouble taking our things back to the house, will it?"

"No, Sensei." Kakashi replied. "It'll be done when you've retired for the day. Should Jiraiya-sama stop in, I will tell him where you are spending your day."

"Thank you, Kakashi-kun." Minato said earnestly. Kakashi nodded and looked back out the window, but something in the gesture was less frosty than usual.

Kira understood that Jiraiya sent word he'd be checking on their seals, and to make sure things were remaining stabilized, but what he _didn't_ understand was how relationships worked between the adults-or almost adults. To him things were rather straight-forward; you loved your family, end of story. You loved the people you wanted to spend your life with, end of story. It's why it confused him when Kushina teased him about him and Itachi's 'friendship.'

It was a dangerous word, one with so much complexity to it that Kira just didn't want to bother with it. That alone was the reason he objected any time Kushina called him and Itachi friends- they weren't _friends_ , they had simply known each other all their lives.

There was a huge difference.

"Can we go now?" Kira asked. He didn't want to sound whiny, and hated how it came out.

The blond only smiled humorously at him. "Of course, but it's only polite we bring a gift." he clapped his hands together. "So what do you think we should give Mikoto and Fugaku?"

"I think they'd like kakigori." Kira replied, his face completely even.

Minato still snorted. "Well, after spending a day with Tsunade-sama there are worse things you could have gotten addicted to." he ruffled Kira's hair again before taking his hand. "I'm sure we'll find something on the way." he rubbed his thumb against Naruto's cheek gently. "Yes we will."

Naruto squirmed against Taji's shoulder, batting the finger away. The woman snickered as Minato huffed.

"I'd be more offended if he weren't so adorable." he said wryly.

Kira felt a smile crawl over his lips. Minato was right-Naruto was very cute. His smile dropped the moment they stepped outside the apartment-and when he saw another one of the villagers living in the complex glare at him and pulled their child away, Kira only clenched his fists. _At least I'll never have to deal with this again at home._

Outside in the real world maybe, but if Minato's promise meant anything, Kira wouldn't be treated like a monster at home.

During their walk through the village, and despite Minato musing aloud about different gifts, Taji actually suggested a plate of fruit sandwhiches. When he raised a brow, the woman smiled slyly.

"You've _mostly_ kept the complaints to a minimum, so I don't see why you can't slack off for such a special occasion."

Minato blinked, but a grin stretched across his lips. Kira let out an 'ouf' as Minato abruptly lifted him onto his back in a piggy-back ride. "Be right back," he leaned down and planted a kiss on Naruto's head, "don't wait up."

Kira frowned. "That doesn't make any sense." he muttered, but when he felt Minato shrug, the child huffed quietly. A small smile cross his lips again; it was nice to see Minato slowly acting like himself again. The blond could be serious, but not _all the time._

They arrived at a sweet shop called Amaguriama which had fared better in the past two months than others-which meant there were more patrons. Kira kept his breathing even, because the second villagers noticed the two of them- people froze. Minato got the smiles, but they turned fridgid the moment they looked at Kira. "Jinchuuriki," "Kyuubi spawn," "fox brat," all reached Kira's ears, and Minato tensed.

"I'm okay." Kira squeezed the blond's shoulder. "It's...it's just words."

Minato glanced at him, jaw clenched, but he nodded reluctantly. A smile instantly appeared on his face the moment they reached the counter, where the merchant looked wary but smiled nonetheless. "I'd like a plate of fruit sandwiches. Enough for six people."

"It's nice to see you're doing well, Hokage-sama." The shopkeeper said as he began to wrap several sandwhiches into a box. "How is your son? Newborns can be a handful."

Minato's smile never changed, but his tone was hard. "My _sons_ are doing fine. Taji-san has been a big help."

The shopkeep carefully didn't look at Kira, and rang up the dessert. "Will that be all, Hokage-sama?"

"Yes, that's all." Minato said tightly. After the transaction, he briskly walked out of the store and met back up with Taji and Naruto as they came around the corner.

The moment Taji saw Minato's stormy expression, she immediately looked them both over. "What happened? You're not hurt are you?"

"No." Minato said quietly.

"Then what-oh." Taji muttered, taking in how people kept their distance. A smile appeared on her face too quickly. "Well, we're almost to the compound."

"Yeah." Kira said flatly. Just because Mikoto and Itachi could stand being around him, he hadn't met _any_ other Uchiha lately that didn't give him a wide berth-those were not good odds. _Remember, you don't care what anyone says-no one else matters unless you decide they do._

Despite the promise of a good visit, by the time they finally made it to the Uchiha compound, Kira was tired, while Minato and Taji had aching jaws from smiling. The child slid off Minato's back as they stood in front of the gate, and took the blond's hand again as the small group moved passed the guards.

"Mikoto-chan said it was the house by the forest." Minato said, but sighed as he noticed along the left side there was a string of houses with treetops peering over the roofs. "Right, should have asked for specifics." he rolled his shoulders. "Guess we'll just have to be weirdos and hope she spots us."

"Doesn't she already think you're weird?" Kira asked.

Minato glowered at Taji for snickering, but snorted and tugged Kira along. "And here I thought you were just my cute little boy, not a smart-aleck in training."

Kira saw that the wall extended into the forest, but couldn't see where it ended. People were milling about outside, many sharing similar physical characteristics, though here and there he could spot some with lighter hair or darker skin. Kira kept his head down though for the most part, but flinched when a voice called out "Minato-kun, over here!"

Mikoto was standing on a porch near the front, waving them in with a smile. "By the time I realized you wouldn't know where to look, I had to glance outside every little while and keep one eye on Sasuke-chan."

"Some genius I am, right? Can't even remember to ask for directions." Minato said self-deprecatingly. He stepped out of his shoes and Kira and Taji did the same, placing them beside his on the mat inside the house. "But I brought dessert."

Mikoto accepted the box and peeked inside, before she gave him a sly smile. "Can you eat these?"

Minato grinned proudly. "Yes, yes I can." he ignored how Mikoto rolled her eyes, and looked at the corner where Itachi was holding Sasuke. "Hey, how are you doing Itachi-kun?"

"I am fine, Minato-tama." Itachi said seriously, causing Minato to sigh loudly.

Mikoto shook her head and elbowed the blond in the ribs. "It's cute, let him have it."

Minato frowned, but rolled his eyes this time. He placed his hand on Kira's back, and nudged him towards Itachi. "Go on, I'll come get you when it's time to eat." Kira hesitated, and Minato knelt down next to him. "You don't wanna listen to three grown-ups talk about boring stuff." he smiled gently. "Don't let what a bunch of ignorant people say ruin today for you."

Kira blinked, but the words hit home. "I don't care what they say." he said firmly. He nodded, and held out his arms to Taji. "I want to hold Naruto-chan. You can talk with the adults."

Taji raised a brow, but smiled in bemusement. "I don't think what they're going to talk about is something I can follow along with. You can hold Naruto-chan though," she carefully placed the infant into Kira's arms, "and I'll be right outside the door. Just call if you need help."

Kira nodded and stepped towards Itachi. "How's Sasuke-san?" If possible, Itachi frowned harder, and the brunet rolled his eyes. Fine, it wasn't like he couldn't swap out the honorific before Sasuke became self-aware. "How's Sasuke- _kun?_ "

"Well." Itachi said bluntly.

Kira nodded, and followed the younger boy into another room, one which had a blanket on the floor, and plush toys strewn across it by a crib. "Naruto-chan likes playing peek-a-boo, and he's not crying as much during the night."

"Sasuke-kun is the same." Itachi set the dark-haired infant on the blanket, who began looking around, tiny clenched fists shaking.

Kira placed Naruto near him, and the blond baby blinked at his new surroundings. The brunet began to frown; looking at the two infants, Kira saw Sasuke had the same dark hair and eyes Itachi did. He wasn't sure if that resemblance would stay so similar the older Sasuke got, but there was no way anyone could doubt that Sasuke and Itachi were siblings.

Kira wished he could say the same. Naruto was blond and blue-eyed, while the seven-year-old had brown hair and orange eyes. If what that shopkeeper said was any indication, people were more than likely to deny the two of them being related at all.

"Why are you frowning?" Kira jerked back, and glanced at Itachi. "Don't you want to be here?"

"Yeah," Kira replied, his tone confused, but he didn't dwell on it, "it's just I see you and Sasuke-kun, then I look at me and Naruto-chan...would _you_ believe he was my brother?"

Itachi stared at him, then looked down at Naruto, who was blinking at Sasuke, and nodded. "Yes, you have the same eyes."

Kira frowned as he looked at his brother. Clearly Itachi wasn't talking about the _color_ , and Kushina said the _shape_ of his eyes were like his mother's. "I'm...not sure I get it."

"You both have an 'I'm not sure about you' look." Itachi's voice didn't change, but Kira snorted.

"I can't tell if you're serious or just told a joke." he said, then tilted his head thoughtfully. "Though either way, I'll take it as a compliment _and_ a joke-you don't really do either." Kira held out his hand, and Naruto gurgled as his chubby fingers wrapped around his thumb. "How's your training going?"

"I'm progressing." Itachi said shortly.

Kira nodded. "We're moving back...home," he stumbled awkwardly over the word, "so I get to use real shuriken and kunai by then. My aim has gotten better, and I can do all the katas Otou-san said I needed to learn for the first year exam."

"Minato-tama really wants you to move up so fast?" Itachi's brows knitted together. "Why?"

Kira's eye twitched. His shoulders hunched together, but he tried to keep himself from getting too worked up. "Because he wants me to suceed, 'ttebaro!"

Itachi stared at him, for just a brief moment he looked perplexed, but his expression went flat. "Is this because we'll both be in the same year? Or because I'm stronger than you?"

Kira huffed, but he felt his cheeks flushing when he remembered Itachi showing him the leaf excercise. Itachi had been able to hold it for almost fifteen minutes while Kira couldn't even make it past three. The fact Kira always had more chakra didn't make him proud, like it would have been before-before _everything_ , and now with the added burden of being a Jinchuuriki chakra control would be twice as hard.

The brunet's eyes hardened. _Then that just means I'll need to work three times as hard- if it means protecting my family then it's worth it_. "Itachi-san, one day I'm going to be stronger than you." he declared. "You've had a head start, but that's going to change."

Itachi frowned. "Are you saying you're my rival? Does this mean we can't see each other?"

"No, because that would be dumb." Kira said seriously. "How am I supposed to know if I'm getting better if we don't train together?" he peered outside the window, but couldn't see anything beyond the trail beside the houses. "Is there a place around here we can train in?"

Itachi didn't say anything. Kira furrowed his brow at how _long_ the other boy was quiet for. When he was about to say something, Itachi finally said, "Now?"

Kira blinked, and shrugged. "Sure, if the grown-ups will let us." he leaned down to kiss Naruto's head. "Be good for Taji-san," he saw the younger boy stiffen, eyes narrowing, and Kira added, "they'll be okay. Taji-san has helped a lot with Naruto-chan. _And_ she's Biwako-sama's student."

"Really?" Itachi questioned, and Kira nodded. "I want to know for myself."

"Okay then." Kira didn't really press it, because he knew the unease of letting a stranger around his brother. Let alone _leaving_ them with one. "I'll go ask our parents." he added, and hugged Naruto once more before leaving him with Taji.

Kira frowned as he walked into the foyer, and he concentrated on the sound of Minato's voice. It was muffled, but grew clearer the closer he got to a closed door. He was about to pull it open, but hesitated and knocked on the pillar first.

The voices inside quieted down, and a moment later a gruff voice said, "Come in."

Kira slid the paper door aside, and found Minato, Mikoto and Fugaku sitting around a small table on cushions and drinking tea. Kira wanted to shift awkwardly, but he held his hands in front of him to reassure himself. "Otou-san, Mikoto-san, Uchiha-sama," he dug his fingers into his knuckles, "can Itachi-san and I go outside? It's for training."

Minato stared at him with a carefully blank expression. "With wooden tools?" he asked, glancing at the two Uchiha.

"Itachi uses real ones." Fugaku answered, his features never changing from its stern expression.

"Hasn't Kira-kun gotten started with those yet?" Mikoto asked curiously.

Minato's eye twitched, jaw clenching as though bracing himself for something. "He has to use them in the apartment."

Mikoto's hands clasped together, smiling brightly. "See? Just another reason you should consider moving in here. We are family after all."

The blond sighed quietly, a tiredness in his blue eyes-like he'd been through this before. "There are...different factors to take in. While I will always appreciate your offer, I just want things to return to normal." he replied, and his gaze slid back to Kira. "I'm not exactly certain allowing a five and a seven-year-old to go out alone is...safe."

Kira breathed out slowly, he didn't want to show he was disappointed- his eyes were drawn to the sight of Itachi walking up to the doorway. "We can't go outside." he said evenly. "It's not safe."

Itachi looked at him briefly before bowing politely to the people in the room. "Would you let us if someone was watching us? I can ask Shisui-kun."

Minato furrowed his brow, and gazed over at Mikoto. "Shisui?" he repeated.

The woman nodded. "He's genin, a very talented one." she tapped her chin thoughtfully. "In fact, I believe he's only two years older than Kira-kun-well, _had_ been, as I think he just turned ten recently."

"Graduated at nine then?" Minato muttered. His lips pressed tightly together for a moment, a forlorn look appearing in his eyes before it cleared. "Can he be... _trusted?_ " There was a meaninful edge in the blond's voice which Kira didn't understand.

Then Mikoto's eyes shifted to Kira, and he did. "Yes." Her tone then became dry. "Would you like do a background check, oh mother hen?"

Minato glowered at her, but sighed as he looked at Kira. A serious glint appeared in his eyes that made the brunet straighten up. "An hour, then you come straight back, understood?"

Kira's heart skipped a beat, and he nodded rapidly. "Thank you so much, 'ttebaro!" he turned on his heel, completely missing the way Minato winced, while Mikoto almost dropped her cup.

Itachi noticed though, but didn't comment as he followed after Kira.

\-----

No one was glaring at him yet, but Kira wondered if the Uchiha Clan could look something other than serious or melancholy. Unbidden, an image of a smiling Obito ruffling his hair flashed through his mind, and Kira clenched his fists. _Never mind._

"How did it go with Taji-san?" Kira asked, hoping to distract himself.

"She is competent," Itachi said solemnly, "enough so that if Sasuke-kun is hurt I will remember it."

Kira nodded in complete agreement. Taji was a nice lady and all, but Naruto trumphed that. "Same." he peered around the street, but felt out of place among all these people-even more so than the rest of the village. Minato was connected to this clan through some weird family thing that had to do with the Namikaze, and that made Naruto family to them as well.

Kushina saw Mikoto as her sister, but that was it.

The brunet shook his head. "So where's this 'Shisui' person live?"

Itachi nodded his head to the right, where there was a house raised just off the ground. "I'll go get him."

Kira gnashed his teeth together. He was very much aware of how alone he was right now. For the first time. He stared down at the ground. _Otou-san, Naruto-chan and Taji-san are at the house, Itachi-san is inside_ this _house, and I don't know how many of these Uchiha really do hate me._ His stomach twisted, and he stiffly kept his gaze on the people passing by.

"Kira-tama?"

Flinching, Kira whirled around, his eyes wildly finding Itachi standing at the botton of the porch. Kira furrowed his brow, trying to calm himself down by expressing his annoyance. "Do you really have to call me that? What happened to 'kun'?"

"Things change." The younger boy said.

Kira frowned, but his gaze was drawn to the older boy who just walked out of the house. He slid the door shut behind him, and the first thing Kira noticed was the shiny headband around the boy's forehead, leaf symbol carved in the metal plate. _I'm gonna get one of those_.

For the most part, Kira didn't have much of a first impression. The boy was taller, and wore a high-collared dark shirt and pants like most of the other Uchiha seemed to, and Kira hadn't missed how pretty much every shirt had the uchiwa fan symbol on it. Was this just a clan thing?

_Then again, the Uzumaki swirl is on every flak jacket, so I shouldn't be making assumptions_ , Kira chastised himself. _Though it must be nice at least knowing you belong somewhere_. He blinked, and wanted to hit himself. He _did_ belong somewhere, Minato said so!

"Uzumaki Kira." The brunet would have said his whole name, but it was quite a mouthful. The only places his full name would appear are in his hopefully soon to be Academy records, and his birth certificate.

Naruto's was pretty much going to be the same, since he'd seen the 'Namikaze-Uzumaki' on the surname line of the infant's own birth certificate.

The older boy ran a hand haphazardly through his hair, mussing up already unkempt locks. "Uchiha Shisui." he bowed slightly, which put Kira slightly on edge. "Itachi-kun said you two needed a chaperone, Uzumaki-sama?"

Kira's fist clenched, teeth gritted. Was he being made fun of? First Itachi was acting weird with that childish 'sama', and now _this_ guy was doing it too. "Look, I don't care what you call me, but you both just need to quit with the 'sama', it's not funny."

Itachi frowned. "I'm not making a joke, I accepted a mission from Minato-tama to keep you safe. You're my charge."

Kira's cheeks flushed. _Seriously, Otou-san? How bad are you gonna get when Naruto-chan gets older? How bad are you gonna get when_ I'm _older?_ He turned a critical eye towards Shisui. "What's your excuse?"

The older boy blinked slowly, brow knitting together. "Excuse? You are the Hokage's son, isn't that reason enough?"

Kira's shoulders slowly unwound, realizing he'd just about thrown a fit over being _respected_. Then again, the tones were off. 'Uzumaki-sama' had been thrown at him with a sneer, or in scornful voices. It felt too strange to just...be called that without the mockery. "I have...issues with that title. Just call me Kira, it's too weird the other way."

Shisui still looked confused, but shrugged it off. "Okay then, Kira- _sama_." he added the last bit with a smirk, almost teasing.

_It's still weird_ , Kira thought as his cheeks flushed again. _No,_ hes's _just weird_ , he corrected himself. Without a word, he looked forcefully at Itachi. "Where's your training ground?"

"This way." The younger boy replied, and Kira kept his eyes squarely on the ground in front of him.

\------

Grudgingly, Kira admitted he'd have a _lot_ of work to do. Itachi hit almost every target spot on, while Kira ended up with minor cuts and only getting two bulls-eyes out of five, with the last three hitting way off target from the trees the boards were attached to. "Okay, steel kunais are really different than wooden ones."

"It's about balancing yourself," Shisui said, peering out from behind a tree. He'd taken cover when Kira's fourth kunai almost nailed him in the arm, "and even Itachi-kun still needs to work on staying on target. Got rather sloppy near the end."

"I know." Itachi muttered.

Kira furrowed his brow at how downtrodden the younger boy almost seemed. Well, that was a new reaction. _He's actually disappointed with himself_. Was Shisui the bigger fish? Mikoto had made a passing mention of Shisui being talented, but Kira would rather see it himself.

Kira went around and pulled the kunais out of the boards. Because of only having one set of each kunai and shuriken, it took time to actually gather it all up. Unfortunately that meant their hour would be gone soon. "Here," he held out the five kunai to Shisui, "show us how it's done."

The older boy blinked slowly, but gathered them up. "Okay, but can you tell me why?"

"I want to see if you live up to your hype." Kira said bluntly.

"And you can tell that by seeing how well I aim?" Shisui asked dryly.

"I want to see the type of person Itachi-san would look up to." Kira retorted. Itachi looked at him sharply, but Kira held firm. "I know that look, I've _had_ that look."

Shisui glanced back and forth between them, and he chuckled softly. "Alright, just watch."

Kira waited patiently, and his eyes widened when Shisui slipped into a stance, and tucked his arms to the side. He crouched, and in a flash his upper body twisted, arms flung out. The brunet felt the wind breeze by, and he looked around at each target. Every one hit the bulls-eye dead on, even the board hidden by the tree!

"Okay, I get it." Kira said, not bothering to hide the awe in his voice.

Itachi knitted his brows together. "Do you want Shisui-kun to be your rival?"

Kira blinked. "What? No; I said _you're_ my rival, and that's how it's gonna stay."

"Isn't this cute," Shisui snickered, which surprised Kira on principle, "between the two of us, we can get Itachi-tan acting like a real kid in time for the Academy." he said teasingly.

Itachi's expression pinched, and Kira felt a faint smile curl at the corners of his lips. It seemed like so long ago when Itachi acted like a child. The switch had been abrupt-just one day he began acting differently, more mature and serious. Kira asked but he hadn't gotten anything out of the younger boy.

When Itachi caught him staring, Kira looked away quickly. "We should probably be heading back. Otou-san might not let me out of his sight again if we're not on time."

"Then we should go, since you're still my responsibility until you're in the house." Shisui said. He shifted his headband, and smirked at them. "Won't even charge a fee for this mission."

A snicker slipped out, and Kira was caught off guard by how easily it came. Shisui didn't react, but Itachi gave him an inquisitive stare. Kira didn't say anything, because he couldn't explain it either. _It was a dumb joke, why was it funny? Uchiha's aren't supposed to be funny._

Another image of Obito's smiling face appeared in his mind, and Kira's cheeks reddened. _I guess it's not_ im _possible._

When Kira caught the older boy's eye, he didn't look away this time.

\-----

Minato's thoughts were split, on the one hand he was keeping an eye on Kira who walked between him and Taji with a deadpan expression, but on the other he couldn't stop thinking about what Mikoto brought up. He knew the Namikaze clan was related to the Uchiha in a confusing manner, so confusing in fact he didn't even know until he'd been placed on Jiraiya's team with Mikoto to find out they were related.

He'd just known her as Kushina's friend at the time, nothing else.

_It's still strange; I'd thought I was just an orphan,_ Minato mused. Now he'd been invited to live within the Uchiha compound. Logically though, it wouldn't be a good thing-not until the village stopped being suspicious of the clan.

Minato knew Mikoto was Kushina's friend, and so did everyone else. To abruptly move in with the _new_ Kyuubi Jinchuuriki in tow would only invite more 'credence' to the speculation an Uchiha had caused the fox to attack the village. Minato was also aware he himself needed to be careful, especially since he didn't want anyone to think Kira was somehow 'manipulating' him.

_Kira-tan only needs to flash those puppy dog eyes and I'm wrapped around his finger, far as_ that _counts as manipulation_ , Minato thought and snorted. Kira glanced up at him, and the blond ruffled his hair. "So how did you enjoy the day out?"

"It was...nice, I guess." Kira muttered. "Itachi-san is very good with kunai practice, I decided to make him my rival."

Minato's smile widened. Kira has said the words with all the seriousness a seven-year-old was capable of. Admirable, but he still looked ridiculously cute saying it. "Is that so? Then we'll just have to up your training it seems."

Kira nodded. "Okay," he paused, and offhandedly, as though an afterthought, said, "and Shisui-san's okay too...I guess."

Minato raised a brow when he saw the rosy hue stand out on Kira's normally pale cheeks. His thoughts were split once more, between: _This is adorable, I think he's got a crush_ , and _How dare that Uchiha brat make my Kira-tan get a crush on him!_ The urge to tease Kira was offset by how much he wanted to make sure the brunet never saw Shisui again. Others might have called that extreme, but no boundary of protection was too good for his sons. _I'm the Hokage, I could probably do it too._

"Hokage-sama?" Taji's voice broke through his thoughts, her tone concerned. "Are you well? You're-well, you're rubbing your hands together and chuckling evilly."

Minato blinked, and glanced down at his hands. Huh, so he was. He unclasped his fingers and scratched the back of his neck. "I'm fine, just let my thoughts get away from me."

"Ah." Taji sounded understanding, but her eyes held suspicion. Kira's did too, and Minato could guess they were thinking he'd fried his brain being out for so long.

The blond frowned when he looked ahead. No one was glancing at them. _Am I really seeing this?_ he scowled slightly. _I do_ that _and no one stares; Kira walks five feet and he'll get nothing_ but _that_. He shook his head roughly.

"We're almost there." Kira muttered, and Minato saw him glancing at the ground. "We're almost...home."

Minato's chest panged, the word hitting him full force. The cramped apartment they'd lived in for the past two months sounded a lot more appealing. Even Mikoto's offer sounded more appealing. _We can't keep putting it off though_ , he thought.

The thought of being actually _inside_ their home, of seeing everything they'd left...that Kushina left...and her not being there-it made the idea less welcoming. Confronting it was going to hurt, but they couldn't keep running from it either. _Damn it, neither of those options would do us any good_. They could move, but that would only be running away too.

"It's...going to be something being back there." Minato said, and a small hand slipped into his. He squeezed Kira's hand. "It's going to be okay." Maybe if he said it enough, it would turn out to be true.

The thought stayed at the forefront of his mind, nothing else getting into his head. It still hurt when they arrived. The house's side was rebuilt, like it hadn't been destroyed. Minato's fists clenched, and he felt Kira wince. Wordlessly, Minato released the brunet's hand and held them out for Naruto. Kira clung to his pant leg as Naruto was pressed into the blond's chest, one hand securing the infant's back.

_No more stalling_ , Minato told himself, and Kira opened the door. Both of them breathed in deep, the musky scent of a home being unlived in, mixed with the polish of new wood and dry wall. "Where do you want to...go first?" he asked stiltedly.

Kira frowned and furrowed his brow. "We should check Naruto-chan's room."

"Y-yeah, we probably should." Minato said, and paused to glance at Taji who hovered in the doorway. "Could you check and see if there's any edible food? I'm not too optimistic about it, but I'd like to know what we'll need to buy."

Taji nodded, smiling gently. "Of course, Hokage-sama."

Minato gave a brief nod back before he and Kira walked down the hall, the sound of shoes on wood echoing too loudly for his taste-or was it just because everything felt so empty? From the state of the house, the main bedrooms and Naruto's nursery were spared the damage, but the new lines in the wall showed the bathroom had to be redone and likely the living room as well. Minato winced at the thought of lost photos. _I'll probably feel like garbage looking at them, but I'd rather still have them._

Kira hesitated in opening the door, but his expression hardened and he turned the knob, pushing it open. He sucked in a sharp breath, and Minato felt the same pang in his chest.

Neither of them said anything-they didn't need to.

The crib took center stage, just a simple design with bars along the side that slid up the older Naruto would get-just like it had been used for Kira. The walls were painted a pale green, a color Minato had picked after winning the coin toss to decide what color to use. Shelves of baby books-some old, some new-lined the back wall, while in the corner was a change station filled with new baby supplies. A breast pump lied beside the station-Tsume's idea of a joke.

Minato stepped up to the crib, where inside the old mattress had been removed and replaced with a new one, while worn out-but washed-frog plushies scattered the sides of the bars.

The sunlight made everything seem cheerful-it hurt.

"Kira-tan...could you close the curtains please?" he asked, and the brunet blinked before nodding. Minato breathed in deeply when the curtains shut and dimmed the room. "Thank you."

Kira bit his lip as he returned to his side. "Are-are you going to put him into the crib?"

Minato reactively held Naruto tighter, but relaxed his grip when the infant began squirming. "No," he said, "not yet." He closed his eyes; if this was what he was like inside Naruto's room, how was he supposed to go into his _own_ bedroom? His chest tightened. _What happened to being strong?_

"Otou-san?" Kira piped up, and the blond glanced down at him, where the child was playing with the hem of his shirt. "Can I sleep in here tonight?" he looked up at him, orange eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "I-I don't want Naruto-chan to be alone."

_I don't want to go to my room,_ was the unsaid follow-up, and Minato thought _screw being strong right now_ and he knelt on the floor, carefully sitting with his back against the leg of the crib. "I don't want to go to my room either," he smiled sadly as Kira's eyes widened, "so let's both keep Naruto-tan company tonight."

Kira nodded rapidly and ducked against his side, careful not to disturb Naruto, and wrapped his arms around the blond's waist. His eyes darted around nervously, and his arms tightened briefly. "C-can I learn how to cook?"

Minato blinked; well, that was a change in subject. He wasn't complaing though. "Why? Is my cooking really that terrible?"

"N-no," Kira flushed, "it was...not bad," he said after wavering, "but a ninja needs all kinds of skills. You said D-rank missions were pretty much chores, and I don't want anyone to complain just because I'm a-" Kira broke off, and he glared at the floor -" _you know."_

Minato frowned, thoughts whirling around inside his head. Had he still been 'big brother' to Kira, the answer was obvious- _You don't need to prove yourself, you're awesome the way you are, they just don't get it._ The last one was the only true statement. _I guess this is my first real test as 'father'_. He shifted Naruto more securely before giving Kira all his attention.

"It's going to be hard, and no one's going to make it easy for you," he said seriously, and Kira stared at him, "I know you think things are bad now...but it can _always_ get worse." he breathed in deeply. "I won't stop you from becoming a shinobi, from being who you want to be, but please never forget who that is-no matter how difficult it will seem."

Kira slowly frowned. "You're not making any sense; how can I loose my way if I don't know who I am _now_?"

"I wish I could tell you, but even I don't have all the answers." Minato decided to lighten the mood back up, and gently nudged Kira with his elbow. "But yes, you can learn to cook-just don't burn the house down."

Kira huffed. "If you didn't, then I won't."

Minato rolled his eyes, but caught sight of Taji coming down the hall. "Yes?" he asked when she arrived.

The woman sighed. "Pretty much everything in the fridge needs to be thrown away, much of the perishables in the cupboards have expired, and the frozen foods have begun to mold."

"Is _anything_ edible?" Minato pressed.

Taji smiled briefly, if a bit sardonic and sad. "Only a box of baby formula and Kira's substitution salt."

Two things wasn't good, but they were _important_ things. Naruto was set for the month if he remembered correctly, and he didn't need to go buy Kira's spice mish-mash. "I guess we'll be eating out for dinner then," his head swivelled toward Taji, expression growing more innocent, "if Taji-san will allow us too."

Taji narrowed her eyes, and Minato nudged Kira again, who promptly pouted at the woman with widening eyes. She sighed and threw her hands up in an exaggerated fashion. "Fine, but tomorrow you'll _both_ be running laps." she huffed and stormed off.

Minato shared a small smile with Kira, and they got back to their feet and followed her out. "Ichiraku?" he asked the child, who nodded back at him.

"Of course."

\----

Kira found it hard to get excited about things, besides things which related to his training or Naruto, but the closer he got to Ramen Ichiraku caused a warmth to spread through him. It was strong enough at the moment to not notice the glares thrown at him, and it took his mind off the feeling of having to go back home.

When they reached the ramen stand, it was deserted save for the chef behind the counter. Kira lagged behind while Minato and Taji took their seats. The brunet's stomach churned nervously; Teuchi had been nice to him before the Kyuubi attack, but Kakashi showed him opinions changed quickly.

Minato noticed his hesitance though, his brows creased in worry. "Kira-tan? Is something wrong?"

Kira flushed, shaking his head as he climbed onto the seat next the blond. "No." he muttered.

Teuchi flashed them all a smile. "I see you've got two new customers with you."

Taji rubbed her arm, flushing.

Minato smiled as he ran a finger down Naruto's cheek. "I don't know about Taji-san, but given Kushina-chan," his voice choked over his her name, and Kira gripped the man's coat, "ate ramen non-stop and I craved it for most of my pregnancy, I'd say it's a good bet."

Teuchi's smile dimmed, but he recovered quickly. "Well, it's good to see you out and about, Hokage-sama. What'll ya be having?"

Minato hummed to himself, eyes surveying the menu. "I'll have a pork ramen."

"Shrimp for me." Taji said politely.

Kira shifted in his seat. "Beef." he whispered, and looked around as the chef set to making the orders. The child's eyes found a shop across the street behind them, the sign showing it as a second-hand store, and the lack of much foot traffic made Kira hope. "Otou-san, may I go into that shop?"

Minato blinked down at him, and followed to where Kira was pointing. "I don't know..." he trailed off, and Taji coughed to garner his attention.

"Hokage-sama, I can accompany Kira-kun. We'll be back before the food arrives." she reasoned.

The blond sighed heavily, and nodded reluctantly. "Okay," he glanced down at Kira sternly, "but no more than fifteen minutes, got it?"

Kira nodded, and jumped off his seat. He raced to the shop, but rocked on his heels as Taji followed after him more sedately.

When she arrived, she crossed her arms. "Go on, I'll wait by the counter."

Kira nodded once more and ducked into the store. He saw the cashier notice him and stiffened up, but Kira kept his eye on the shelf lined with books. A book on chakra caught his eye, and until he could sneak into the library this would be useful. He held it under his arm as he continued on, and found a slightly worn cookbook. This would be also helpful, and Kira picked it up as well.

He didn't find any other books that interested him, but with the crafts section he found a sewing starter kit. Kira's eyes widened as he remembered Kushina sitting on the couch, knitting needles in hand as she started making Naruto's scarf. _It's not the same, but...sewing's a skill too._

Nodding shakily to himself, Kira picked up the kit and walked over to Taji. "I'm done."

She surveyed the items, brow raised but didn't comment. "Okay, go wait outside please."

"Alright." Kira replied. He made his way out of the shop, side-stepping to avoid the elbow that tried to hit his head.

Unfortunately he ended up bumping into an older girl, the dango box in her hands wobbling as two sticks fell onto the ground. Kira stared down at the spoiled food, and back up at the purple-haired girl who gaped at the food as well, her face twisted in horror.

When she turned to him, her expression tightened in anger. "Look what you did, brat!"

"It was an accident." Kira retorted, but the girl glowered at him.

"You owe me two sticks!" she held out her hand, and Kira couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I don't have any money, and even if I did I wouldn't give you any because it was an accident!" Kira shouted. His yelling caught the attention of passerbyes that only sneered at him, but the one which made him look down in shame was seeing Minato look up from his seat.

The girl frowned. "What are you lo-oh crap, is that the Hokage?" Her pupiless brown eyes were wide. Her cheeks flushed and she began patted down her spiky ponytail. "He's looking over here, I can't believe it."

Kira scowled at her, something about the attitude bothering him. He remembered some people twittering in the same way about Minato before the attack, and even during the two months in the apartment. Kira didn't like it then, and he didn't like it now. "He's not looking at _you_."

The girl scowled back at him. "Why you little-"

"Kira-kun," Taji interrupted her, as she came out of the shop with his things, "let's head back now." she noticed the girl, who was now staring between Kira and Minato, and Taji's eyes narrowed. "May I help you?"

"Kira?" The girl said instead, frowning as her brows knitted together. "Uzumaki Kira?" she stared harder at him, and sharply tilted her head with a grin stretching across her lips. "You don't _look_ like a demon."

Kira stiffened, shock making his mouth drop. Villagers alluded to it all the time, but this was one of the few times someone came right out and said it.

Taji's brows shot up, and her forehead creased as her lips were pressed into a stern line. "Miss-"

"Not miss," the girl interrupted, "Mitarashi Anko; chuunin, and apprentice to Orochimaru." she added proudly.

Kira furrowed his brow, the name familiar and he tilted his head as the answer came to him. "He's ero-oji and Tsunade-oba's teammate, right? The one who lost being the Hokage to Otou-san, that guy, right?"

"Kira-kun!" Taji scolded him, and Anko scowled at him again. "That's not a polite thing to say."

The brunet frowned, confusion knitting his brows together. "Which part?"

"All of it." Taji said sternly. "You can't just go around insulting people."

Was this another ninja lesson? Kira remembered the advice Tsunade had given him. _So...you need to be sneaky about being mean?_ Well, that _did_ sound like a better way to stay alive, so he reluctantly forced out, "I shouldn't have said it, it was rude."

Taji nodded at him, her expression pleased.

Anko narrowed her eyes at him, suspicous, but scoffed and glanced away. "Whatever-you still owe me two dango." she gave him a hard stare as she passed by him. "Don't think I'll forget _that_."

Kira kept his gaze to the ground until the purple-haired girl was gone, and glanced at Taji. "I think our ramen should be done by now."

Taji nodded. "Yes, and Hokage-sama looked about ready to dart over."

Kira winced, genuine remorse coursing through him as he saw the blond had yet to look away from the scene, his features tense. The child sprinted back to the stand, watching as Minato slowly began to relax until Kira was climbing onto the seat beside him. "Look, now I can start learning how to cook." he picked up the worn recipe book.

Minato smiled, but his eyes were somewhat stern. "And did you say thank you to Taji-san?"

Kira flushed, and peered around Minato at the medi-nin that had retaken her own seat. "Thank you, Taji-san."

The woman gently waved him off. "No trouble, it's good to start learning skills early."

From inside the stand, Teuchi picked up two bowls and set them in front of Taji and Minato. "Here ya go, enjoy." he said before fetching the third bowl, and placed it before Kira. "And as always, no salt."

"Thank you." Kira bowed his head, grateful to have one place he could eat at without fear. He broke his own chopsticks, and did the same for Minato as the blond shifted to hold Naruto against his shoulder and free up his right arm. "Itadakimasu!"

Minato ruffled Kira's hair before picking up the chopsticks. "So, how's Ayame-chan?"

Teuchi beamed, already working on pouring more noodles into a pot. "Great, she's excited to start school this spring." he peered under the canopy over the customer chairs, and up at the gray sky. "Though since it hasn't snowed yet, I'm worried about a longer winter-not many people will come out in that kind of weather."

Kira's stomach twisted. Past winters had been spent in the kitchen watching Kushina and Minato argue over what to make for supper, but with a playful air of two people who were so comfortable around each other. Though when the kissing started he'd ask to play in the snow outside.

"What about you, Kira-kun?" The brunet blinked when the ramen chef spoke to him, and the man repeated himself. "Are you excited to be going back to school?"

_Not civilian school_ , Kira stopped himself from saying it. That would be rude, and Teuchi had always been nice to him. "I'm not sure, just hoping I'll be accepted into the Academy when it's open next semester."

"Ah, you wanna be a ninja just like your parents?" Teuchi asked knowingly.

Kira sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes flickering to Minato, but the blond was steadfastly eating his ramen. The brunet's cheeks warmed as a pleasant feeling coursed through him; telling himself that he was Minato's son was one thing, hearing it acknowledged by 'normal' people was another. "Yes, Chichi-ue and Otou-san are strong, and I want to be strong too."

Minato glanced at him, and he smiled slightly. "You're mother wasn't a ninja, but she managed to handle Kushina-chan and I," his smile tightened, but didn't fade as a fond yet sad glimmer entered his far-away gaze, "quite _well_."

Kira furrowed his brow at the odd inflection. His confusion only grew when Teuchi looked away and Taji blushed profusely. He pushed it out of mind, and focused on the main point of Minato's retort. _Then I'll be strong like all of you, and-and I'll be someone you three could be proud of._

It was a vulnerable, silent declaration, and Kira hoped he could keep his word.


	6. Cat's Cradle

_A young boy, only six years old, sat alone at a table in a mess hall. His blond hair was short and matted, while the other kids avoided him. He'd been at the orphanage for little under three months-long enough to blend in but new enough still that other kids didn't want anything to do with him._

I don't care, _he told himself, but couldn't stop from seeing a group of boys and girls at the table next to him. They were smiling, laughing, making the most of the time they had in this place. His fingers tightened on his fork, and he viciously speared his lunch._ I don't care...

_"Hi," a timid voice said, and the blond paused as he looked up to find a girl his own age standing by his table, her most striking feature the incredibly wavy mop of hair hanging down to her shoulders and curls hanging in her face. She held a bento box in her arms, but despite her unruly hair, her clothes were too new, her appearanced too well-cared for evem with her sickly complexion, "can I sit here?"_

_He glared at her. "Why? No one else wants too."_

_The girl winced, twisting her foot on the floor. "It's just," she said quietly, "no one wants to speak with the orphanage owner's daughter-knowing I can go home while they-" she stopped, her face falling and her curls shadowed her eyes. "I'll leave you alone."_

_The blond didn't know if it was pity or genuine sympathy, but he found himself calling out, "Wait" and gestured awkwardly to the seat across from him. "You can sit down-I guess."_

_She stared at him, but slowly smiled, her orange eyes twinkling as she climbed onto the seat. "I'm Sachiko, what's your name?"_

_The blond smiled back, just a tiny bit, but it was as though a weight lifted from his shoulders. Like for a moment he could forget where he was-why he was here. "I'm Minato."_

He'd stared up at a hospital ceiling longer than he cared for, and Minato found himself doing it again in his own home. He woke abruptly, his traitorous mind reminding him of old times that made his throat constrict. _One, two, three..._ he counted each crack in the paint on the ceiling. Perhaps that could give him something else to do later.

Minato glanced down at Kira, lying curled up next to him with his own blanket wrapped around him like a cocoon. Both Kira and Naruto were breathing in steady, shallow breaths that almost soothed the blond back to sleep.

Almost. Even with the morning sun dimmed by the closed curtains, Minato squinted against the light as he heard the rapping on the front door, and the seal on it alerted him to the presence on the steps outside. He _could_ pretend not to hear it, but frankly Minato didn't want to deal with the hassle if it was Taji and she came back with Biwako next time.

Careful to keep from waking Kira, Minato slipped out from under his own blanket and got to his feet. He stretched his muscles and yawned on his way to the front door. Minato blinked wearily, squinting once more against the direct sunlight outdoors and found it incomprehensible how _chipper_ Taji could look so early in the morning. At least, he thought it was still early in the day.

"Good morning, Hokage-sama." she held out the increasingly vile natto/steamed rice container, which Minato grudgingly accepted. Taji's other hand held a shopping bag, but he couldn't see the contents inside.

"Good morning, Taji-san." he parroted, but much more subdued. The blonde stepped aside to allow Taji entry, and closed the door quietly behind her. "Naruto-tan is sleeping longer-he only cried five times last night."

"That's good, and what about Kira-kun?" Taji asked.

"He's...handling things rather well." Minato's stomach churned, and not by the smell of the food. "Though it may be due to all the things which have happened already. I'm just worried he may be bottling everything up."

"Something which is not good for _anyone_." Taji gave him such a pointed stare that Minato found himself glancing away.

"I need to think about my kids, they can't see me fall apart." he muttered defensively.

Taji sighed heavily, her expression frustrated. "Just remember not to forget they need a parent in the first place."

"Believe me, that's not hard to forget." Minato said quietly. He heard the pitter-patter of tiny feet, and his dourness did a one-eighty as he smiled cheerfully at an approaching Kira, who did not look so cheery with his grumpy face and wild bedhead. "Sorry, did we wake you?"

The brunet yawned as he wiped the sleep from his eyes. "No," he mumbled, "I was just hungry."

Taji smiled as well, and knelt down in front of him. "How about I make you something to eat? Does a bowl of miso soup sound good?"

Kira's grouchy mood lightened a bit, though he bit his lip. "Yes, but," he clasped his hands in front of him nervously, "can I help you make it? I-I want to start my cooking lessons."

Taji blinked, but recovered quickly. "Sure, no problem. I could always use some help, and there's always a chance Hokage-sama might sneak a bite he's not supposed to, so an extra pair of eyes would be useful to have around."

Minato glowered at her, but he couldn't stop his lips from quirking up as Kira snickered quietly. The blond ruffled Kira's hair affectionately. "Take this with you," he handed the brunet the container, and held his hands up in placation when he caught Taji's stern glare, "only going to get changed, I'll still eat it." Unfortunately.

Taji did not look impressed, and she waited for Kira to trail after her into the kitchen.

Minato made his way to the bedrooms, each step heavier until he was standing in front of his and Ku-his...just his own room now. Somehow, he'd never imagined opening a door to be so difficult. He reached out, but his fingers barely brushed the knob before jerking back.

His heart hammered in its ribcage, and Minato scowled to himself. _It's just a door, it's just a damn door_ , he told himself, but it didn't stop his eyes from sliding to Kira's room. He...he should really spare Kira having to see his room in disarray. Yeah, that-that's what a responsible father did, right?

Swallowing thickly, Minato opened Kira's door, the hinges creaking too loudly in his ears. His gaze roved over the room as he stepped inside. The room was a muted blue (which had been the result of Kushina winning _that_ coin toss), with a dresser on one side of the room filled with photos and plushies, a bed on the other and the sheets ruffled as-as though someone had just woken up. 

Minato breathed in deeply as he tried to settle his nerves; Kira said he'd woken up to the window opening. His eyes shifted to the closed window, but his stomach dropped as he saw on a closer look it was still slightly ajar. He took one step and hissed as a pain shot up his foot.

The blond stumbled back as he found pieces of glass on the floor. His immediate attention was focused on pulling the shards from his heel, and his lips pressed into a tight line as before his eyes the punctures in his foot slowly healed until it looked as though there weren't several cuts there previously.

Taking his mind off the demon sealed inside _him_ , Minato found what the glass belonged too. His eyes widened; it was a protective goggle Kushina had given Kira, lying strewn on the floor with a snapped elastic and one lense shattered while the other was cracked. The orange paint which had been crudely applied around the lenses was chipped and flakes were mixed in with the glass shards on the floor.

Minato furrowed his brow. His eyes shifted between the goggles and the dresser. There was a small case where the eyewear would lie on, and there was also a good six feet distance between the two. Too far for it to simply have fallen off. _But...who'd throw it?_ His gut churned, not denying the possibility Kira might have tried to escape and it was thrown at _him_ , but Minato frowned as he cast another look at the top of the dresser.

Something didn't look right. He side-stepped the broken goggles and inspected the top of the oak cabinet. The stuffed animals were still upright, a clock near the edge beside the goggle stand, but the pictures...Minato furrowed his brow, his throat constricting.

Kira had several photos he'd taken out of the album set on the dresser, because he didn't want them to get 'dusty'. One picture of a tired Sachiko in a hospital bed and Rin holding an infant Kira, another of a six month old Kira in Sachiko's arms this time while Kushina and himself were sitting on either side of her. Everyone in those pictures looked so _happy_.

Minato stalled when his eyes roved to the last picture, but found himself staring at open space. He glanced down, and it finally clicked. The last picture was pushed face-down. His fingers grasped the edges and he picked it up, but his eyes widened as glass fell from the frame onto the top of the dresser.

The blond wanted to smile when he saw the actual photo- out of reflex if nothing else- but this was not the time. Not when something just didn't add up. The other pictures were still in place, but why was this photo pushed over so hard it cracked the glass? It was only a picture of Kira and Obito, both wearing their goggles, and smiling at the camera.

To Minato the picture came with a fond memory, but to anyone else it shouldn't have been anything of note. Had it just been knocked over instead? _No, that can't be right; all the frames should have been scattered if someone was going immediately for the goggles to throw at Kira._

Sighing, Minato placed the photo upright before making it to the window. He frowned at the seal he'd placed on the window pane. He would have felt it go off when he was in labor, but that part of his memory was still frustratingly out of reach. It left him with only speculation about the blank period between his water breaking and waking up out in the forest.

The blond ran a hand through his hair, eyes casting another glance to the ruffled bedsheets. _Kira-tan..._ he frowned as his fingers found the window latch, but he froze as he looked out the window.

For a moment all he could see was an open hospital window, the dark sky-Minato sucked in a sharp breath, a splitting pain piercing through his skull. He gritted his teeth, eyes squeezed shut as emotions raced through him- _panic/fear/anger_ \- detached but just as visceral. Heart-racing panic overcame everything, splitting pain racking through his groin, intense fear and helplessness fighting for dominance as-

_"You either come with me, or I let him drop."_

-Minato gasped harshly, the world spinning around him as his mind hit the block and everything came to a screeching halt. His knees buckled beneath him, and he doubled over in pain, holding his head as a shrill ringing pierced his ears.

"-sensei! Sensei!"

Minato slowly refocused, like a photo gaining clarity and he became aware of Kakashi shaking his shoulder, while Kira was at his other side, eyes wide and terrified. The blond breathed in raggedly, but tried to make his lips form a smile. As Kira didn't look relieved, there was a good chance it just came out a pained grimace instead. "I hope I didn't cause too much trouble." he said with a weak chuckle, but no one else was playing along.

Kira stepped back to let Taji kneel next to the blond, palm already glowing green. She had a look of concentration on her face as she held his temple, and Minato found his frame slowly relaxing as the throbbing in his head was soothed.

"Hokage-sama, what happened?" Taji questioned, her eyes flitting to Kakashi. "Was he attacked?"

"That would certainly be easier to have dealt with." The young ANBU muttered. "Sensei, you were only staring out the window, what did you see?"

Minato frowned, the brief flashes of _something_ were fading by the minute, but he could still recall a few details. "I...I think the view of the village reminded me of the night I was abducted." he explained, brow furrowing. "My head just began to _ache_ , and I'm pretty sure I hit the block."

"Do you recall what you saw that night?" Taji pressed.

"I think someone was...outside my window," Minato muttered, straining to reach those last few strands before they faded, "and...they were threatening me, but that's all I remember." Slowly guilt gnawed at him. "Sorry for freaking you all out, I must have been yelling pretty loudly for you and Kira-tan to have heard me." he glanced at Taji, but found her frowning deeply.

"You...weren't screaming," she said slowly, and her eyes widened minutely as she looked back at Kira, "he just took off."

Kira fidgeted, expression twisted in worry and fear. "I-I-I heard you." he whispered. "I was scared something happened, 'ttebaro."

There was something _off_ in how uneasy Kira acted, but Minato wasn't going to put him on the spot. Minato could ask when he was more certain they'd be alone. "I hope you didn't leave your breakfast on the burner."

"Sensei, this is no time for jokes." Kakashi retorted. "What if you need to go to the hospital-"

"I'm fine, besides my head nothing else hurts." Minato said tightly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Taji-san handled it, and I'd rather leave the trips to the hospital for more serious- _actual_ -injuries."

The silver-haired teen looked down. "Then I will get back to my post."

Minato nodded, and breathed in a calming breath. The remnants of his headache faded and he waved Taji away. "Really, I'm okay now, but I wasn't joking-you didn't actually leave the stove on, did you?"

"No," Taji said, her expression offended, "we were finishing prepping the ingridients and didn't have time to even _start_ using the stove."

"Ah." Was all Minato had to say on the matter. He climbed back onto his feet and glanced at the glass still peppered in the room. "I'll clean this mess up, go check on Naruto-tan."

Kira nodded, but stopped as his eyes shifted to the goggles and broken picture. His expression cracked, tears pooling immediately as a whine picked up in the back of his throat. Minato's gut twisted, and he found himself feeling an intense rush of sadness and heartbreak as Kira ran out of the room. Taji's brows knitted worriedly and she ran after him.

The blond was breathless, gasping lightly as his hand laid on his stomach-right over the seals. He could sense chakra, but since when could he sense _emotions?_ Minato furrowed his brow, the answer rather obvious. _Of course, Kyuubi._ As if in reponse, a growl from deep within him resounded in his head. _I'll need to talk to Jiraiya-sensei again about this when he arrives._

Minato quickly cleaned up the glass and threw it in the bathroom trashbin, but he was more hesitant about what to do with the goggles. The picture frame could be replaced, as it was the photo inside Kira treasured, but the broken goggles held so much more.

When Kira came out of Naruto's nursery carrying the weakly crying infant, Minato hid the goggles under the layer of clothing he'd taken out of the boy's dresser. "I'll put these in the bathroom and you can change after you're done eating."

Kira nodded, head down. "Okay." he said quietly and both he and Taji continued on back towards the kitchen.

Minato sighed as he placed the clothes on the sink counter. He removed the goggles and stared down at them. _Well, I can at least get rid of the broken bits._ The blond pulled off the elastic band and knocked out the other cracked lense before letting them fall into the garbage bin, leaving only the orange-painted frame.

_Maybe it can be salvaged,_ he thought, and tucked the frame into the pocket of his pants. He nor Kira had the heart to change out of their clothes from yesterday, and slept in them. His hand stopped at the hem of his shirt, and Minato hefted it only a little to uncover the lower half of his abdomen. It only took moments for the ink to appear on his skin as his chakra was called; the Seahorse Seal was unrecognizeable, having been heavily modified into what he and Jiraiya determined was a makeshift Hakke no Fūin Shiki, or at least, what it could theoretically be given they didn't have all the information.

The other frustrating thing was that due to the two seals now being so intricately linked, he couldn't remove the Seahorse Seal without releasing the Kyuubi half inside of him. He'd neglected to read about what happened with prolonged use of the Seahorse Seal, but now it seemed yet another thing was biting him in the ass.

Minato sighed heavily as he let his shirt drop, and ran his hand through his even shaggier hair-he'd also need a haircut, he noted absently-before walking out of the bathroom but stopped short of the door to his bedroom. Minato gritted his teeth as he actively forced himself to push open the wooden door open. The weight of it was heavy, and Minato knew it wasn't because he was physically weaker than a block of wood.

The room was cold. A chilly breeze was generated by the swish of the door, and there was nothing but a thick silence. Even with the curtain wide open and the light shining in, the room still managed to be dim and lifeless. Minato clenched his fist, eyes averting from the empty bed, sheets perfectly made and unlived in.

Memories came, unbidden and fast, each more painful than the last. Lying in bed with Kushina between him and Sachiko. His arms around Kushina as they both shared in their grief. The feel of Kushina's fingers running through his hair. Their hands clasped as they looked at the pregnancy test, his heart leaping into his throat as the stick came back positive.

Minato's throat tightened, his eyes pinched as his legs trembled while he leaned against the dresser and slid the door to the side. The blond's fingers tightened on the pillar, his expression pained as he found his clothes neatly folded into piles on one side, while Kushina's clothing was more casually hung on hangers. Sachiko's things had been moved out long ago.

His vision blurred, the corners of his eyes prickling to an almost painful degree. Minato held the bridge of his nose, and forced himself not to let the tears fall. _No, if Kira and I can feel each other's emotions, I will not let him suffer for it._ His throat remained uncomfortably cramped, but Minato kept his eyes on picking out a change of clothes.

Relief came more sharply than he expected when he closed the closet door. He rested his forehead on the wooden blind, and closed his eyes.

Minato breathed in deeply, and pushed down everything. All the unpleasantness, all the pain-he had to be strong, he'd been surviving for the past two months, and he could keep on doing it.

He had to.

\----

Getting in was pathetically easy. The planning itself had been harder.

He frowned as he slipped into the crowd of civilians, nose wrinkling as the swell of disgusting human smells and their inane chatter was unpleasant to his senses. He'd be glad once he was back in his quiet, isolated home. A smile briefly flashed across his lips, fangs peeking over his lower lip briefly, but there was something bitter in his eyes. _Not alone though._ And certainly not if he had his way.

The others might be too bitter and distrustful, lost in their own little worlds to care about the newest addition to their incredibly small numbers or even want to see him, but he would gladly take it upon himself to liberate his newest cousin. _Perhaps that will change in time_. Perhaps in time he could try to liberate his _other_ cousin-this time he wouldn't fail her.

Out of the human scents that assailed him, he picked up the faint traces of a sickly mix of human and indescribable-that would have frustrated him, but he'd grown so used to picking it out that he'd come to associate it with all his cousins. _The trail isn't weak, so perhaps he's been here in the last few days._

In all his planning, one thing still nagged at him. _Now, how do I get Kira-kun away from the Yondaime long enough for this to work?_

\----

Kira couldn't explain why he'd ran to Minato, he just had. There was such a resounding echo of pain and sadness that all rational thought disappeared. _Why is this happening? Is it Kyuubi or something else?_ He'd never shown signs of being a sensor, but then again he'd never used his chakra much before either. He sighed as he kicked at the grass as he stood in the backyard, his foot scuffing the ground.

When- if- Jiraiya arrived he'd have to take another look at their seals for sure.

Abruptly, a box was held in front of him, and Kira jerked back until he found Taji was the one holding it. "What is it?"

"Just something I thought could help you." Taji replied, smiling slightly.

Hesitantly, Kira scrutinized the wooden box. Along with the ingredients for his soup, Taji _had_ removed a box which looked just like this one. He hadn't asked what was in it at the time, but now he found himself curious. Carefully, and after making sure no salt could be found hiding anywhere on it, Kira accepted the box. When he lifted the lid, his throat constricted. A set of dulled steel kunai gleamed in the sun.

Kira stared down at the tools, frozen as he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He swallowed thickly. "Thank you, Taji-san." he whispered.

Taji beamed once more. "Thought you could use an upgrade from wooden tools now." she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Sorry I couldn't get you any shuriken, but I figured Hokage-sama would be doing that."

"Yeah, I-I should tell him." Kira turned and saw Minato sitting on a bench in the backyard, with Naruto on his shoulder and patting his back. The brunet passed the target boards set up and found his lips quirking up as he lifted the box for the blond to see. "Look what Taji-san got me, c-can I keep them?"

Minato frowned as he picked one of the kunai up, his other hand resting secured against Naruto's back. "Well, it _is_ dulled, and Taji-san has been a great help to us..." Protective instincts could have made him reject the gift, and Kira's stomach churned at the thought, but Minato sighed and placed the kunai back. "Just be careful, they're dulled but it can still hurt."

Kira's entire being shook, a surge of warmth flooding through him. "I will, 'ttebaro!" He wondered why Minato winced, but at the moment Naruto reached up to grab the lock of hair framing one side of the blond's face. Ah, mystery solved.

"Then let's get your training session underway." Minato gently tugged Naruto's fingers from his hair and handed him to Taji, before reaching down to ruffle Kira's hair. "I know you're excited to use those kunai, so we'll do target practice after our laps, okay?"

Kira nodded and set his kunai set on the bench before stretching alongside Minato. He frowned as the wind blew, and a strange scent caught his attention. It was a cat's, he was certain of that at least. He looked harder at the overhead of trees behind the wall, and bit his lip. "I think Tora's over there, can I catch it?"

Minato stared at him, and groaned low in the back of his throat. "I swear I don't know how that thing keeps getting out, or even living for that matter." he smiled indulgently and ruffled Kira's hair again. "You can try, want a lift?"

Kira straightened up, chest puffing out. "No, I can do it myself." he said firmly, but it must not have been as effective since Minato only grinned. The brunet pouted as he made his way to the wall, the scent growing stronger. His nose began to itch slowly, and his eyes burned as the scent became downright disgusting as something else was mixed in with it's already weird smell.

"I don't think I want to catch Tora if it's been in the garbage." Kira muttered, and coughed once he reached the wall. The breeze continued, and he sucked in a deep breath of fresh air. Kira jerked back as a thud landed beside him; he looked down, and found a cracked pink ball. Powder littered the ground, but Kira began to feel light-headed as he sagged against the wall, sliding down and rested his head against the bricks.

Kira sniffed as the smell irritated his eyes further, but as he stared into the trees above him, the more he smelled the cat. "Wha..." he slurred, furrowing his brow as he found a pair of gray eyes shaped like a cat's...and the forehead protector with the symbol of Iwa etched on the plate.

Kira's eyes widened, and he sucked in a large breath, his throat beginning to burn from the smell, but all he could think of to shout was, "ENEMY!"

Everything seemed to slow down, and Kira's heart thudded rapidly in his chest as a gloved hand reached for him. Gray eyes narrowed before a yellow blur was standing over Kira, kunais locked as the enemy ninja was sticking to the wall by their feet.

"Taji-san, get Naruto inside now!" Minato shouted and Kira barely noticed a reluctant Taji doing exactly that, the door closing behind her. The blond's eyes narrowed, a fierce scowl on his lips. "Attempted kidnapping, does Iwa really think it could get away with it?"

The shinobi made a 'che' sound. "I did not expect any less of the Yellow Flash." he drawled.

Kira blinked, and in that moment he was amazed to find Kakashi behind the enemy ninja with his ninjato pressed against the man's neck.

"You did not answer his question." Kakashi said coldly.

The shinobi's mouth and nose were covered by a mask, but his goggles were behind clear lenses, and from that alone he did not look concerned. "Well this isn't good," he closed his eyes, " **for you."**

Kira flinched as the voice turned distorted, and the gray eyes opened to reveal a slit in the center of both. Minato's eyes widened minutely, but that moment of surprise was all it took. The shinobi grabbed Kakashi's wrist and hurled him into Minato, and in a split second Kira found himself getting further away from the backyard.

He struggled weakly in the man's grasp, but the arm around his waist tightened. "Let me go." he slurred, hating himself for how pathetic he was.

**"I can't** do that." The voice faded back to a more human sound, but the dark edge remained. "Not until we're out of this place, cousin."

\----

His head spun for a moment, but he still had the sense to grab Minato's arm when the blond was about to go after the man. Minato looked sharply back at him, anger and pain in his gaze. "Sensei, you can't-"

"He's my son, I'm not going to lose him." Minato said firmly, but didn't wrench his arm away. "I can activate my seal on Kira, and keep that man from getting away. You need to go inform Sandaime-sama about what happened."

"You haven't fought in months, are you sure-"

"There's no time for any second guess **ing!"** In an instant, Minato's eyes changed.

And to Kakashi's shame he found himself releasing the blond, while his grip tightened on his ninjato. He-he would _never_ draw it on his sensei, he couldn't believe he'd been about to-to- "Sensei, your eyes are red."

Minato lifted the dulled kunai in his grasp, and grimaced as he stared at his reflection. At the red eyes with a vertical slit in them staring back. He squeezed his eyes shut, and pinched the bridge of his nose, shoulders heaving as he calmed himself down. "I'll explain later...just," when his eyes opened, they were blue again, and filled with anguish, "don't argue, not about this. I-I can't lose anyone else."

He'd seen Minato vulnerable, despite his sensei's clear efforts to hide himself for the sake of everyone else. But now...the man he'd looked up to and admired, just seemed so empty- _hollow_. He didn't like it. He didn't like any of this, but now was not the time to argue. His sensei was right about that at least. "Okay." He still wanted answers, but those could come after.

Minato's face softened briefly, but his eyes hardened as he held out his hand. "Give me your kunai."

Kakashi undid his pouch and handed it to the blond, but clutched his wrist before the man could run. Minato furrowed his brow. "I still want answers."

Minato stared at him, and nodded shortly. Once he was released, the blond disappeared in a yellow flash.

Kakashi didn't waste any time in making his way to the Hokage Tower. Minato would already be with Kira and his kidnapper, and he couldn't let his slower pace keep him from hurrying up. Every second his sensei would be forced to fight in sub-par condition. He might not be weak, but he still hadn't fought in two months.

The ANBU took the quickest path to the tower, flaring his chakra to alert the Sandaime before he landed on the window pane and opened it to slip inside. "Sandaime-sama."

"Ah, Inu-san, what brings you-" Sarutobi stopped, his eyes narrowing as he took in Kakashi's tense posture. "What happened?"

"An Iwa shinobi kidnapped Kira-kun and Sensei went after them." Kakashi explained shortly.

Sarutobi didn't even pause. "ANBU," he called to the hidden guards, "gather a squad-quickly, and have the barrier team seal the village."

A surge of anger and hatred flared, Kakashi's chest tightening as his eye widened. It was like...like the night two months ago, when the Kyuubi... he looked out the window, red chakra flaring beyond the treeline deep in the forest. "We need to get there fast."

Though when they arrived, what would they find?

\---

Minato was never more aware of how rusty he had gotten during his time on leave, and it seemed even his strict diet and excercise only improved his bodily proportions. Something was just _off_ though, and he hazarded a guess it was either the seals on him, or the physical changes he still had _due_ to the Seahorse Seal now being unable to be scrubbed away. _Kushina must have been truly desperate if she could only modify the seals Kira and I had than make one from scratch._

He ignored the changes though, because right now all that mattered was he was certifiably in the clear to use his chakra. And in the second it took to be teleported to Kira's location, he already had his chakra forming in hand.

Minato aimed for the back of the Iwa nin's head, teeth gritting as the man ducked at the last second and the rasengan grounded into the tree trunk behind him. His eyes widened as out of nowhere the chakra ball spiked, and he jumped back onto another tree branch as the bark exploded, fragments flying everywhere. _Damn it, why did it-crap, now that I've got a part of Kyuubi my chakra control's going to be harder to maintain._

"The mighty Yellow Flash, I was expecting something... _more_ of one of your famous attacks," the enemy nin tilted his head, "how disappointing. Suppose I shouldn't have bought into the hype too much, you are just a _man_ after all."

Minato turned a fierce glare on the figure standing across the forest, his eyes flashing briefly to the boy in his grasp, who was struggling weakly to get away. "What did you do to my son?"

The Iwa shinobi's cat eyes narrowed further. "He's not your son." he hissed. "And he belongs with his own kind, not with the likes of _you._ "

Minato's gut twisted. What the hell did that mean? His eyes narrowed, using the pieces offered to suss out a conclusion. The eyes, the voice, the village, the _words_... "Are you one of Iwa's Jinchuuriki?" he questioned, because he'd never underestimated the fact news about Kira's new status could spread so fast.

The ninja stared at him, his expression difficult to discern due to the mask and goggles, but his eyes held open disdain. "Who said I was a Jinchuuriki?"

The words barely registered before Minato felt it. The flare of sickly chakra before the nin's eyes turned red. _One of his kind._ "You're a demon-no, you're covered up more than to just hide your identity-you're a half-demon, aren't you? What you used on Kira, it would hurt you too, wouldn't it?"

The man shrugged lazily. "Perhaps you're not so stupid after all. I used a bath salt, such a frivolous thing really came in handy."

Minato didn't reply, his mind working a mile a minute to figure out way to retrieve Kira. Perhaps it was truly arrogance which made the shinobi give away so much, but he had come prepared-the skin, nose, mouth and eyes were all covered-so it stood to reason if the bath salt didn't work, he'd need _another_ angle. Minato's eyes sharpened on the only pouch around the nin's waist. A foolish thing really. "I take it you've never heard how disrespectful it is to know your opponent's name but not give your own?"

The Iwa shinobi scoffed, but his red eyes sparked in amusement. "Seeing as even with your little parlor tricks you can't defeat me, I'll tell you my name-just so you can wallow in your failure, pretty boy. My name is Sen."

_And I've got you,_ Minato channelled his chakra into one his the borrowed kunai, and without a second thought he aimed it for the branch Sen stood on. The blond dove forward as Sen actually glanced back as the branch was sliced at an angle. His red eyes widened as Minato appeared in front of him.

Minato cursed as he landed on the ground, having caught something but it was not his son. His eyes narrowed down at the pouch and bandana headband. A spot of color drew his attention to where Sen landed gracefully on his feet-Minato's eyes widened. _Like a-_

The blond examined the headband with critical eyes until he found what he was looking for. Along the metal plate, there were scuff marks like it was sanded down, but underneath the Iwa symbol he could see the faint traces of something _else_ had been there originally.

Minato finally pieced everything together, his mind racing as he took in the too pale blond hair Sen had, falling in spikes over his forehead. "You're not Iwa, you're from Kumo-you're the Nibi's son!"

Minato couldn't tell which accusation caused the unfiltered rage to cloud Sen's eyes, but his voice had grown demonic, the hiss in his voice cat-like as well. " **I wouldn't be Kumo's weapon, and I will not let my cousin be yours!"**

"He's not a weapon," Minato retorted, "he's my son-"

**"Lies! You're all nothing but liars!"** Sen snarled. Kira whimpered in his grasp, and Minato saw claws had dug through the tips of the man's gloves. Something dark stirred in Minato's mind as blood drip to the ground from the nails piercing Kira's side. Sen raised his hand, claws poised over Kira's chest-right at his heart, blue flames flickering to life along his palm. **"I'd rather see Yugito dead than in chains!"**

Minato's eyes turned red, his chakra flaring an equally sickly colored cloak. Jagged dark lines slashed over his cheeks, fangs grown and nails sharpened into claws. **"Don't touch him!** " he snarled, rage and hatred coursing through him.

Instinct took over- _protect/kit/mine_ -and Minato surged forward, appearing in front of Sen in a flash. Sen's eyes widened briefly, his eyes flashing in pained shock as the wrist poised to claw Kira's heart out snapped in two, the fire dying out.

Minato's other arm came up to grip Sen's shoulder and dislocated it from the socket, watching Kira fall off Sen's claws. Minato ripped open the pouch he'd pilfered, and Sen's eyes widened. He stepped back, eyes flickering to Kira, but he narrowed his gaze and reluctantly turned heel.

Minato growled and flash-stepped in front of Sen, fist cracking the man across his jaw. He grabbed one of the bath salts and tackled Sen, his other arm prying his mask off and pulling his jaw open. Minato glared viciously at him, hate surging as he crushed the salt and shoved it into Sen's mouth.

Sen's eyes bugged out, his claws tearing at any piece of Minato he could reach, nails cutting his cheek and sleeve in a desperate effort to get away. Sen's eyes rolled back, body convulsing as the skin around his mouth turned a deep red, bruising to a purple as blood began to bleed out of his nose. Sen gagged, and his body finally stopped moving. His chest still rose though.

Minato growled, and tore one of Sen's sleeves off. He dipped it in the rest of the salt and tied the bastard's wrists together. He used the other sleeve to tie around Sen's eyes. Minato froze as he saw Kira lying on the ground, instinct driving him forward as he dropped to the boy's side and pulled him into his arms. **"Hey, Kit, come on, wake up for me, Kit."**

Kira opened his eyes weakly, his brow creased. "Don't call me that, Otou-san," he said softly, "not it's kit, I'm yours."

A strange chill ran down the blond's spine, freezing his insides and Minato sucked in a ragged breath as his physical characteristics returned to normal, but blood slicked his cheeks from the unnatural gouges of the whiskers and Sen's frenzied scratching. A strong sense of fatigue overtook him, and the force of it almost knocked Minato over.

Minato held Kira to his chest with one arm, his other hand planted on the ground. It allowed him to feel the chakra of incoming ninja, Kakashi's at the lead. The blond chuckled weakly, but grimaced as pain spiked through him, sharp and clear. _No wonder Kushina-chan hated you, Kyuubi, if this is the price to using your power._

He levelled a glare at Sen once more, and looked up impassively as a squad of ANBU dropped in. Kakashi came to his side, his mask obscuring his face but Minato could feel his gaze.

"S-Hokage-sama, what happened?" he asked.

Minato jerked his head at Sen. "Turns out he's not Iwa, but he is dangerous. He's a half-demon too," he explained, and immediately the rest of the ANBU drew their swords on Sen, "he should be out for a while, I shoved a mouthful of salt down his throat." he paused, and struggled to get to his feet, Kira still in his arms. "If one of you has a storage scroll, hand it over."

"Hokage-sama, what are you doing? You can barely stand." Kakashi pointed out, but Minato shook his head and held his hand out insistently.

"I can do _this_ ; I don't want this man getting away." Minato said and one of the ANBU reluctantly handed him a scroll. The blond dropped to Sen's side, and he emptied the scroll before sweeping it over Sen and the man disappeared inside. Minato reached over to the salt scattered on the ground, and slathered it onto the paper and tied it close. "Okay, now he's secure."

"What do you want done with him?" One of the ANBU asked, but Minato couldn't tell who it was as his vision began to blur.

Minato closed his eyes to concentrate. Taking Sen to T&I was too dangerous, but right now he just wanted Sen _gone_. Unfortunately buring Sen where no one could find him wouldn't be very responsible given the possibility of the half-demon escaping. "Take him to Orochimaru-sama." he said.

Kakashi stared at him, mask blank and perhaps it mirrored his not-face. "Hokage-sama?"

"Do it." Minato insisted. "Get me," and here his lips twisted, "to the hospital." he glanced at Kakashi. "I have some things to explain."

\----

"Honestly, I don't know why we haven't reserved this room for you."

Minato winced as he ducked his head. Biwako was not happy to see him here _again_ , and with Kakashi sitting eerily silent in the corner like an actual ghost, Minato was a bit on edge. Even Biwako stating Kira's healing ability was back to working on the burns after the salt was washed away was little comfort.

The fact he and Kira were in two seperate rooms, with Taji and Naruto in the brunet's room didn't make him feel any better either. Minato wondered if this was what seperation anxiety felt like. _It's not supposed to happen so soon, isn't it?_

"My own home away from home." Minato said, but what was meant to be a light tone came out bitter and morose. This place was becoming his second orphanage. "Am I at least healthy enough to see my kid?"

Biwako pursed her lips in disapproval, but she nodded sharply. "You'd best not stay on your feet too long though, or I'll know."

Minato wasn't in the mindset to doubt her. He'd just come a hairsbreath from losing Kira to Sen. "Understood." he waited until the woman left, before he gazed at Kakashi. "Still ignoring me, huh?"

"I was not ignoring you-I was merely thinking." Kakashi replied, his tone curt.

Minato tilted his head. "And?" he pressed. "What's your conclusion?" _Do you still hate Kira-tan?_ That would be too on the nose, not to mention blatant.

Kakashi was silent a moment longer before answering, his voice neutral. "The urge to keep this knowledge from the public is understandable, but I would never betray you."

_I know, but despite saying everything to the contrary you still don't know what to think of my kids_ , Minato thought, but didn't voice his doubts. Now wasn't the time to get into it anyway. "That wasn't my concern; the hard part was explaining something I myself I have no knowledge of how it happened or why."

"Yes, I can see how...difficult it might be to explain." Just minutely, the silver-haired teenager relaxed.

Minato was under no illusion it meant things were _fine_ , but at least a crisis had been averted. His thoughts turned to the state he'd been in during his fight-no, not a fight, because Sen had been too surprised to put up much of one-the _beating_ he'd given Sen. It was like a haze overtook reason, driving him to protect his son. He would have done what he could, but drawing on the Kyuubi's chakra subconciously stripped him of the _that's enough_ part of his brain.  
It was honestly worrying to have lost himself almost completely. He'd need to take a closer look at the seal on himself.

Speaking of which. "I know it must have scared people when Kyuubi's washed over the village-how did Sandaime-sama spin that exactly?"

"With a very brief account of an enemy shinobi kidnapping Kira and he used the Kyuubi's chakra in self-defense. He drew too much and fell in exhaustion, but gave you enough time to subdue the enemy." Kakashi relayed.

"And about what I told you Sen was?" Minato asked.

Kakashi blinked slowly. "I'm not sure I follow," he drawled, "you didn't mention anything else. In fact, I don't think any of us heard you."

Minato sighed quietly. Honestly, he didn't like the fact Sarutobi had covered up the fact Sen was a half-demon, but he knew just as much that the villagers would only hate Kira _more_ if they knew _why_ Sen kidnapped him. They would have been rid of the 'demon spawn' for good. "Yes, it's been a quite a day, I can hardly remember what I did this morning."

"Do you acquire assistance in moving?" Kakashi asked after a beat of silence.

Minato shook his head. "I can manage." He pointedly didn't say why, because now it was likely obvious to them both. The blond felt like crap after using Kyuubi's chakra, and now he was barely winded. _Losing myself is too high a price though for this to be any kind of regular thing._

Kushina made it clear Kyuubi hadn't liked _her_ , so Minato didn't even entertain the possibility things could be different now.

Pushing the thought of his wife away, Minato got off the bed gingerly. He stretched his arms and legs before making his way to the room beside his. He smiled as he knocked on Kira's door. The brunet blinked blearily at him, covers up to his neck and the burns around his mouth and eyes were all but gone now that the salt was cleaned from him.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he leaned on the doorway, waving Taji off as she moved to offer her seat. She stared at him, but sighed heavily and held Naruto more securely in her arms.

Kira frowned, his nose wrinkling. "Awful." he whispered, his voice scratchy. "It's never gotten in my nose before-it itched and my throat hurts."

Minato gazed at him sypathetically, making his way over to sit beside Kira on the bed. He ran his fingers through his son's hair. "Well don't worry, I'm gonna stay with you until Taji-san kicks me out. How's that sound?" he briefly smiled as the woman rolled her eyes.

Kira leaned closer to him, nodding but his eyes were downcast. "I-I'm sorry." he said softly. "For getting caught."

Minato's chest tightened, and he leaned down to pull Kira to his chest. "Hey, none of that now." he said soothingly. "It's not your fault, you didn't know. If anything it's our fault for not realizing something was wrong. But he's gone now, and he's never going to hurt you again."

Kira closed his eyes, and he pulled his arms out from under the blanket to wrap around Minato, who hugged him just as tightly. "O-okay."

\----

_Frowning, a six-year-old boy trekked through the woods behind the orphanage, the laughter of the other children slowly drowning out. He was still just an outsider to them, too new to be welcomed, and it was as though talking to Sachiko when she came around was like some unspoken betrayal. She was kind, frail and timid, but nice-well, to him anyway._

_Making his way further into the forest, Minato slowly became just_ aware _of how far he'd managed to walk. Not only could he no longer hear the voices and laughter, but gone was the overall buzz of the village. His chest constricted, eyes widening a fraction as he realized that he'd passed out of the village completely._

_Security had been lax with the orphanage, and rashly Minato contemplated running away on purpose. He continued stalking through the brush, his legs tiring as he thought of all the reasons to do so. Sachiko might have been one to_ stay there, _but that place was not his home, it had been seized as assets after his parents-his parents-_

_Minato hiccuped, blinking as his vision blurred without his notice. He scowled and wiped the tears away angrily before they could fall. No, he didn't let the boys he bunked with see him cry, he wouldn't do it out here by himself._ That's just it, I'm alone-what better way to do this?

_The thought broke through the dam, and Minato dropped to his knees, sobbing into his hands as his heart pounded. He missed his parents, he missed them so much. Why did they die and leave him alone? Why-why-why-why-_

_The rustle of leaves caused him to stop cold. Minato tensed up, sniffling as he hastily ran behind a tree. He wasn't on any path, and now he found himself panicking as to who else could be out here. Minato tensed as the rustling grew louder, but could only stare as the figure past by. It was a hunched over gray-haired old man with a strange walking stick, and Minato felt silly for being scared._

_The blond sighed, but tensed right back up as the man glanced at him. Half his face was covered by his long, spiky hair, but the single dark eye staring at him was icy. "A-ano, sorry to be intruding. I was taking a walk."_

_"I knew you were there, boy, and I frankly don't care why you're out here." The old man said in a gravelly voice._

_Minato clenched his fists, heat rising in his cheeks as he realized someone heard his crying. "Surprised you could hear anything at all, old man." he muttered, petty as it was._

_The man paused in his stride, but scoffed. "You're a stupid child, what do you know of the world?"_

_Minato scowled fiercely at the man's back. "I know plenty! I know it's cold and doesn't care about what you want." The image of his parents flashed in his mind, their bodies lying on the morgue table for him to say goodbye too. He hated how that was all he could see when he thought of them._

_The old man turned, his expression impassive but his eye narrowed. His wrinkled lips pulled into a frown, as if seeing something that didn't make sense. "What's your name, boy?"_

_Minato frowned. "Namikaze M-"_

_"Such a stupid child to give your name like that." The man cut him off abruptly. He began his stride, and didn't look back again, even as he continued speaking. "Go back to your village, boy. And forget you ever saw me; go and live your pitiful existence."_

_Minato stared at the man, confused and bewildered. What...just happened? He blinked, the words lost on him, but the tone made him angry. It was the same patronzing voice everyone spoke to him with._ I'll show everyone that I'm not someone to mess with; I'll be strong, strong enough to protect everyone I love-so no one can be taken away from me anymore.

_And that was a promise._


	7. The Academy

Kira was no stranger to going to a first day of school, but that had been for _civilian_ school. This was for the new class entry at Konoha's Ninja Academy. Minato hadn't sugar-coated things with how difficult it had been to get Kira's foot in the door due to all the havoc which had gone on-first Kyuubi, then Sen, and the general unease of letting a Jinchuuriki near so many younger children. Kira's _by a year_ retort was bit back when Minato said it ahead of time, but he was grateful to his step-father for doing this for him at all. _I'll make you proud of me, Otou-san. I'll show you that this isn't for nothing._

Kira checked over his outfit using the mirror tacked onto the back of his bedroom door, and he tried to focus on his reflection and not dwell on the lingering nervousness of being in here. It had been six months since moving back into the house, from winter turning to spring and now on the cusp of summer, while little by little it felt like home again-but nothing would fill the void Kushina left.

_I-I will make a good impression today, I will use what skills I have to my advantage,_ he told himself, but even his reflection looked doubtful. Kira sighed and adjusted his summer jacket, and he hesitated as his hands lingered over the goggles resting on his dresser.

He would never admit to Minato that he'd bawled his eyes out when the man gave him back the goggles in brand new condition with a stronger elastic band and orange lenses. Kira squared his shoulders, decision made and pulled the orange goggles over his head to rest on his hairline, flattening his bangs against his forehead. _I...I can wear this until I get a headband of my own._

When Kira got to the kitchen, Taji had already set his egg omelet on the table, while Naruto was gurgling as he banged his spoon on his high chair. His brother's hair had grown to a spiky shock in the eight months that had gone by alltogether, and Kira could see more of their parents combined in his features. Minato's influence was obvious, but Naruto's round face and wide eyes were definitely from Kushina.

Kira winced at the reminder, but smiled slightly. "Naruto-chan, good morning." The baby looked at him, smiling with a toothless grin as he dropped his spoon onto his high chair and reached for him. Kira wasn't tall enough to take him out of the seat, but his brother seemed happy to just hold his hands and shake them. "Taji-san, do you need help?"

"No, I just finished feeding Naruto-chan and your lunch should be done in a few minutes," Taji explained, and smiled down at him, "I've made you chicken teriyaki with kinshi tamago and kara age on the side."

Kira smelled the food from down the hall, his stomach growling. "Thank you, Taji-san." he said, and slipped Naruto's hands back around the spoon so he could eat his own breakfast. His eyes landed on the empty seat at the side of the table, his chest tightening as it always did since Minato had gone back to being reinstated. He'd known the blond wouldn't be around all the time, but even before everything went wrong he'd be there in the morning. _Things must really need his attention more now_ , he thought, and began to eat his meal.

He finished just after Taji set up his bento box, and the brunet used the step ladder to wash his dish while the medi-nin got Naruto ready to go out. Once the dishes were set to dry, Kira grabbed his bento and packed it into the satchel he'd gotten ready the night before. "I'm all set."

Taji held Naruto in her arms, and raised a brow. "Notebooks, pencils, lunch?"

Kira smiled slightly again. "Yes, I've also taken my chakra book for recess."

"Just don't exert yourself too much." Taji advised, and Kira nodded as they walked out of the house.

"Not just my workbook, but I also brought ero-oji's book to read too." he'd barely said it when Taji looked horrified at him.

_"What_ book? Show me."

Kira furrowed his brow, but blinked as he realized she thought it was one of those orange ones. He pulled out the worn book with the title 'The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi' across the front and Taji looked relieved.

"Forgive me, but I thought it was something...else."

Kira nodded in understanding before putting the novel back into his stachel, but soon his fingers tightened on the satchel strap when he picked up the muttering around them, though he kept his expression neutral. He'd been drilled insessantly by the Academy administrator about the three requirements to be accepted into the school; he'd barely passed the minor test, and the only reason he likely wasn't being given a larger tuition to pay was because of Minato.

Kira shook his head as they continued on, but whatever relief he felt stepping onto the Academy grounds was drowned out by the stares they-no, _he_ -got from the parents. Immediately the parents of the younger children told them to stay away from him, while the older kids all glared at him. He started when a hand landed on his shoulder, but looked up in relief when it was only Taji.

"Do...do you need a minute?"

Kira blinked, but shook his head again. "No, I'll be okay." he whispered, and sighed as he spotted a few familiar faces in the crowd walking up to them. "Itachi-san, Mikoto-san, Uchiha-sama." he bowed, and the younger boy gave a curt bow back.

"Kira-sama." Kira still wasn't used to hearing that, especially now that Itachi got the suffix straightened out.

Mikoto smiled at him, and her eyes drifted to Naruto as she held Sasuke in her arms. "He's gotten so big, has he started saying words yet?"

"No, but Hokage-sama thinks it's going to be 'ramen' given Naruto-chan perks up when he heards the word." Taji said, and Naruto did indeed jump, eyes darting around once the magic word was said. Taji ruffled Kira's hair, something he'd allowed her to do after she'd stayed up half the night with him making a buttercream cake for Minato's twenty-fifth birthday. It seemed like it took forever just to keep the cream from burning on the stove. "I'll see you when I pick you up after school, okay?"

"Okay." Kira said, and the medi-nin walked out off the grounds with his brother, the infant peering back at him, and Kira waved. Naruto gurgled and waved back.

"The opening ceremony is going to be starting soon, have a good day and behave." Mikoto said to Itachi.

"Yes, Okaa-san." The boy replied.

"And do not disgrace the clan." Fugaku added, causing Mikoto to frown at him, but Itachi only replied in another affirmative.

Both boys watched the elder Uchiha leave, and soon the rest of the parents wishing their kids well began to trickle out as well. Kira sighed as the air began to grow tense, unsurprised as to when they were all called for the opening ceremony he and Itachi were given a wide berth. The stage where the school staff sat was less impressive to Kira than seeing his step-father standing in the center, smiling at all of them, but it turned warmer once he met Kira's eyes, and the boy felt himself relax.

And once the ceremony was over and the children were ushered into the school, Kira lagged behind as Minato knelt in front of him, eyes turning sad briefly when he touched the goggles, but ruffled his hair affectionately.

"Have a good day in school, Kira-tan, and if you need anything, remember my office is just across the grounds." Minato said.

Kira nodded. "I understand." he replied, and hurried to get to his classroom. He pulled the door open, revealing a wide room with dozens of seats at the back, with a large chalkboard and a podium in front of it.

"You're late." The instructor said flatly.

"I was talking to my-"  
"No excuses, take your seat, and the next time you're late you won't be allowed in for the rest of homeroom class."

Kira tried to ignore the snickering as he sat next to Itachi, but found his hands clenching as the instructor began speaking again.

"I'm Takahashi Shiro-sensei, and today we'll be going over the class scheduling, but first I want each of you to introduce yourselves to your classmates and your dreams for the future."

Kira tensed, and he noticed Itachi frowning harder. The brunet didn't want to admit it, but he was relieved when they started with the kids who had 'A' last names and went down in order. It gave him just enough time to think of what he was going to say-to matter if he said anything.

Before long they were at 'U' and it was Itachi's turn to stand up, his expression reserved as usual. "I am Uchiha Itachi, and my dream is to," he paused for the barest of moments, fists clenched, "rid the world of fighting."

There was a beat of silence, and Kira cringed as the students broke out in laughter. Itachi stiffly sat back down, his expression still stony.

"Okay, knock it off." Takahashi said sternly, and the laughter died off. "Now that we've all gotten to know each other," Kira stiffened, his move to stand aborted, "we'll get into the nitty-gritty of what your school year is going to be."

Kira sighed heavily, watching the instructor hand out sheets to each row to pass back. Kira bit the inside of his cheek when the instructor paused in front of him, and was mildly surprised when a copy of the schedule was put in front of him, and the rest handed to the student behind him to pass back.

In his own head, he said the words no one else would be able to hear now; _I'm Uzumaki-Nohara Kira, and my dream is to be strong enough to protect the loved ones I still have._

"This morning we'll start off with geography, then move into history and break for recess. After that we'll work on your mathemathics and writing. Then comes lunch, and in the afternoon we'll be spending it doing practical work outside, with the girls being sent off to kunoichi lessons for the last hour of class." Takahashi explained.

The instructor reached up to pull down a blind which showcased a map of the elemental nations. "Now, who can tell me what the Five Great Elemental Nations are?"

Kira glanced around, and seeing as some students appeared hesitant to answer, he raised his own hand.

Takahashi ignored him. "No one wants to try?" he frowned, but smiled when Itachi raised his hand. "Do you have an answer, Uchiha-san?"

"I think Kira- _sama_ raised his hand first." Itachi said, and Kira's eyes widened slightly. Students whispered behind them.

Takahashi frowned again, and he looked reluctant as he said, "Speak then, Uzumaki."

"The five elemental nations are the Hi no Kuni, Tsuchi no Kuni, Mizu no Kuni, Kaminari no Kuni, and Kaze no Kuni." Kira replied.

Takahashi looked like he swallowed a lemon. "That's correct." he muttered. "Who can tell me what the hidden villages of each land are called?" His eye twitched when Kira's hand shot up. "Anyone else?" he scowled. "What are they then?"

"Konohagakure in fire, Kirigakure in water, Iwagakure in earth, Kumogakure in lightning, and Sunagakure in wind." Kira replied.

Takahashi smiled triumphantly. "That's incorrect," Kira flinched, "can anyone tell me the _right_ answer?" he nodded to another student that raised their hand.

"Konohagakure _no Sato_ in fire, Kirigakure _no Sato_ in water..."

Kira's stomach dropped. Was he really being docked for not saying the whole thing? His lips pursed. He still promised Minato he'd be in the top of his class to advance to his own year, and if this instructor wanted thorough answers, he'd give him those.

"Now, each hidden village is run by a leader, can anyone tell me what that leader is called?" Takahashi grumbled when Kira's hand shot up. "Yes?"

"Each hidden village is run by a Kage." Kira replied. "In Konoha it's the Hokage, Kiri has the Mizukage, Iwa has-"

"That's it, go stand outside." Takahashi pointed to the door. "I will not have you talking out of turn. I asked for the leader's position, nothing more."

Kira gritted his teeth, and he grabbed his satchel to storm towards the door. His knuckles were even paler from being clenched so hard on the doorknob, snickering resounding from the other students.

"Now, who can tell me what each village's Kage is called...?"

Kira slammed the door shut behind him.

\----

When recess rolled around, Kira was practically seething. He'd been denied acess to the history textbook for the next portion of class when he'd been allowed back in, and then got sent back into the hall for 'cheating' _because_ he didn't have a book to parrot the answers from. Never mind the fact he'd found the lesson boring, but he'd paid attention when Minato taught him at home the early history of Konoha. Or the fact there were children from clans in his class whose parents likely taught them ahead of time too.

_I will not break, I will not break_ , Kira repeated the mantra until he calmed down, taking a spot away from the other children under a tree. He pulled his chakra book out, flipping to the latest chapter about elemental chakra. He'd need to add to the list to find out what elements he got from this 'chakra paper'. _Chichi-ue had water and wind, but I don't even know what type Haha-ue was._ Since this was 'land of fire' it was likely his mother was fire nature, but Kira couldn't be sure-nor did he want it. _Water and wind, I'd be happy with those because then I don't have to wonder if the fire came from Haha-ue or Kyuubi._

First order of business was bettering his chakra control. He was able to hold a leaf on his forehead for seven minutes, but he wanted it to be at least be half-and-hour, just so he had something to gauge his time limit when he started tree walking before pushing his leaf excercise accordingly. Water walking could wait until he had the tree climbing resonably down.

He flinched when a soft thump crunched the grass on the opposite side of him, but he relaxed when he saw it was only Itachi resting his head against the tree trunk after sitting down. "What, already six and the world's getting to you?"

Kira hadn't been able to attend Itachi's sixth birthday a few days prior because of reasons (political ones Kira didn't quite understand), but he had made him seaweed onigiri with Taji's help for Minato to take over to the Uchiha compound. What _had_ surprised him was Itachi showing up at his home with Shisui in tow and handing over a cup of kakigori.

"It's quiet over here, peaceful even." Itachi said quietly.

Kira snorted. "So glad my pariah status is good for something." he replied dryly. "By the way, can I see your textbook when we get back to class? Otou-san lent me his to study from at home, but it's out of date and I want to know what to cover when I sneak into the library for information."

Itachi nodded, and Kira continued reading.

Soon though, the silence was broken by the chaperone yelling for the children to return to class. Math had been a subject Kira genuinely dreaded doing, simply because the numbers made his head hurt. Sealing was in his blood though, and there was no way he was going to let this subject trip him up.

Takahashi derived too much enjoyment from seeing his abysmal calculations. "And this class is why you shouldn't think you know more than your superiors."

Kira gritted his teeth, but was more than happy the class finally moved onto calligraphy. Math was part of sealing, but getting the design right was the other step. _I can do this,_ he winced as a paper ball hit the back of his head, _I can do this_. His hand slipped as another struck his head. He glared back at the boy behind him, who only looked innocently down at his paper, his hand sliding away from the paper ball wadded up on his desk.

Kira breathed in deeply, and carefully began to start over the class assignment; writing your own name in kanji. His hand paused periodically, waiting for the moment the last ball would strike. He jumped when the paper ball dove past him, knocking over the inkpot beside him and he watched in horror as the black ink soaked into the material of his satchel. "You-!"

"Uzumaki, get back outside!" Takahashi snapped.

Kira gritted his teeth, and picked up his bag before storming out of the room. He didn't bother waiting outside, and instead hurried to the bathroom. Inside he was dismayed to find the ink ruined his notebook, and the cover of his chakra textbook. He was relieved to find his step-father's copy of Jiraiya's non-perverted book was still okay. Kira's stomach dropped though as he found his bento was another casualty of the ink.

Throwing away the ruined items, Kira tried to scrub the ink from his satchel. The soap and friction of paper towels against the fabric only faded the ink, but Kira would take that over throwing the bag away too. He paused as the bell rang, and signalled the start of lunch.

_I guess I'll just need to eat at home..._ he paused, but smiled to himself as he remembered Minato's words. He didn't care if he it meant explaining to Minato _why_ his things were ruined, but he could trust his step-father to look after his things.

With that in mind, Kira dodged through the hall full of students, and scurried to the administrative part of the building. His chest tightened the closer he came to Minato's office; he hadn't been here since...since forever it felt like. He slowed the closer he got, but the secretary's voice stopped him completely.

"You can't go in there-Hokage-sama doesn't have time for _you_ ," she snapped, "he's in a very important lunch meeting."

Kira frowned, glancing at the door but decided it was better to eat at home. "At least let me give him these? I want him to watch my stuff until school's over."

The secretary glared at him. "Fine, just leave your stuff and get out of here." she looked away as Kira put his things on the desk, scooting her chair away like his belongings were diseased. He glanced at the door again, but sighed and grabbed his things. _Home it is._

And when he got home, explaining to Taji what happened might not have been fun, but it certainly put him in a better mood. He also got to spend a bit more time with Naruto, which was also nice.

\-----

Time was said to fly when you're having fun, but for Kira the inverse was painfully more appropriate. Time _slowed_ when you're miserable. It had only been a week, but Kira could swear it was almost a month since school started. Perhaps it was because everyone but Itachi ignored him in class that time seemed skewered, or the teacher criticizing him for every little mistake of mispronounciation, or still refusing to hand him a textbook, but what really broke Kira's will power happened while the class was going over the history section.

"...perhaps a bit too young to remember this, class, but who can tell me when Hokage-sama took office?"

Kira, who'd been leaning on his elbow, perked up a little, but didn't bother raising his hand.

Itachi did though, and the instuctor let him answer. "It was two years ago, just after the Third Shinobi World War ended, when Namikaze Minato-sama became the Hokage, with his wife and son in attendance."

Kira smiled faintly; the memory was close to his heart, just for the sheer happy glow accompanying it.

"I'm sorry, but that's incorrect." Takahashi said regretfully, and Kira's smiled morphed into a frown. No, he couldn't actually be trying to say - "Hokage-sama's son was born only eight months ago, everyone knows that." Kira gritted his teeth.

Itachi's lips tugged down just a bit more. "Kira-sama _is_ the Hokage's son though. Perhaps they don't share blood, but legally Minato-sama is his father."

"I'm afraid you're still wrong; Uzumaki's father is sealed inside of him."

Kira stared incredulously at the instructor, his heart pounding with adrenaline as his body couldn't decide what it wanted to do-scream at him, throw something? Kira clamped viciously down on his emotions, and took off from the room. He couldn't let himself freak out here, wouldn't let any of these people see his weakness. His vision blurred as he pulled his goggles over his eyes.

He didn't think about where he was going, or how long he was running for, but when his foot caught on a loose rock and he stumbled, he rolled onto his back. Tears finally fell, hiccuping as he stared at the sky. He sniffled and pushed his goggles back up, wiping away the tears that streamed down his face. _Why can't everything just be like it's supposed too?_

Kira was under no illusion it would be perfect, but it had to be better than this, right?

A shadow over him blocked out the sunlight, and Kira squinted as his eyes adjusted to the figure standing above him. Kira blinked slowly as he finally recognized who it was. "Shisui-san, what are you doing here?"

Shisui raised a brow. "I saw you running like someone lit a fire jutsu on your heels, so I came to see if you were okay." he tilted his head. "Are you?"

Kira frowned as he got up to sit on his backside. His eyes took in the area, and he grimaced as he realized he'd ran up the hill to the top of Hokage Rock. Thankfully he was nowhere near the edge-he was still scared of heights, and he couldn't believe _this_ was where he ran too. He was on the grass part far away from the ledge, but he scrambled back further just to be safe. "I'm-" he broke off, sighing. "You wouldn't understand."

Shisui sat down next to him. "Try me."

Kira eyed him critically, but the older boy looked completely serious for once. "My instructor told me right to my face that my father was Kyuubi." Shisui grimaced. "I should've handled it better than just running out of class, but after the week I've had-I just needed to get out before I did something I'd regret."

"How come you haven't told Hokage-sama any of this?" The older boy questioned.

Kira sighed. "I just didn't want to bother him. Besides, I can't get past his secretary."

Shisui furrowed his brow, but slowly smirked. "Is that all? I guess you don't know about the secret entrance."

Kira raised a brow. "Secret entrance?"

Shisui nodded, a grin forming as he got to his feet and held out his hand. "Come on, I'll show you how to get in."

Kira stared at the outstretched hand, nervous in a fearful way as the memory of his hand being burned flashed in his mind, but so did Taji ruffling his hair. He carefully grasped the offered hand, only to be startled with being hauled off his feet and slung onto Shisui's back. Kira grabbed onto his shoulders on instinct. "What?"

"Hold on tight, I'm gonna get us there in record time with this jutsu speciality of mine." Shisui replied, and Kira tightened his hold as the older boy formed a hand sign. "Shunshin no Jutsu!"

Kira's stomach dropped, and his head spun as the world blurred around him. He closed his eyes, and in a few moments he was jerked into opening them by the body he was holding onto clinging to the side of the Hokage office. Kira really did feel like he was going to throw up with how high they were, and his eyes squeezed shut and his hands tightened further. "You're meaner than I thought."

Shisui chuckled lightly. "It's not so bad, just let me-ah hah! We're in."

Kira heard the click of a window opening and Kira was relieved to be placed back on solid ground. "You're secret entrance was the window?" he asked incredulously.

Shisui shrugged. "Got you in, didn't I?"

"K-Kira-tan, what are you doing here?"

Kira bit his lip as he looked at Minato's shocked face. The blond was in the middle of his never-ending paperwork regiment. "I came to talk to you. It's...it's something important." he rubbed his arm.

Minato ran a hand through his hair. "At least you're okay, I got worried when I felt-" he broke off when he glanced at Shisui, and cleared his throat. "Anyway, what did you want to tell me?"

Kira took in his step-father's encouraging smile, and he breathed in softly. "The teacher...ever since school started, he...he's...been...picking on me." It sounded ridiculous, and Kira felt so small for admitting it.

Minato's expression hardened though. "Shisui-kun, wait outside." he waited until the boy had left, and then walked over to kneel in front of Kira, his voice softening as he gently grabbed Kira's hands. "Now, Kira-tan, start from the beginning."

\-----

If there was one good thing about this whole debacle, it was that Mintao yanked the teacher while the kids were out with their afternoon instructors. He'd let Shisui escort Kira home, much as it pained him, and swiftly dealt with the instructor. Minato would have preferred prison, but he grudgingly gave him a demotion and fired from the Academy without severence pay.

Now he was trying to find a suitable teacher while the kids were on their off day. A short time span, given he needed at least _one_ person who could stand to at least be neutral to Kira. Minato was not blind to think they'd treat him fairly, but all he was asking for is 'evenly'.

It had been difficult before the Kyuubi attack, but now it was even worse.

Narrowing it down to instructors that had _not_ lost anyone in the attack wasn't surpsingly hard, but he managed to get five profiles in the end. He frowned as he slid his fingers together while surveying each I.D., carefully going over the descriptions. _Hopefully sacking Takahashi will show all the other instructors that bullying_ any _child will not be permitted._

_"Hokage-sama,"_ his secretary's voice broke through the buzzer on his desk, " _Elder Shimura is here to see you."_

Minato sighed as he rubbed his temples. _I should have known he was planning something; he's been too quiet lately._ He pressed down on the intercom button. "Thank you, Yuriko-san, send him in." He breathed in, and sat up straight with his hands clenched on top of his desk as the door opened.

Minato narrowed his eyes at the old man hobbling in with his walking cane, but knew better than to underestimate him. _Let's see, is this about Kira or firing the instructor?_ He wasn't naive to think this was about the instructor himself. He made himself smile, just to appear polite. "Well this is a surprise, you've been out of the loop so long I thought you'd finally keeled over." his smile twitched. _Damn it, I used too much bite; he's knows I'm not trying to make a joke._

Still, Danzo showed no outward reaction. "There is still much to be done before such a time comes."

Minato didn't react either, but inside he grimaced. _Lucky us_ , he thought morosely. "And is your presence here today one of those things?"

"Indeed, for it has circulated through the vilage you fired Takahashi Shiro-san because he was sabatoging the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki's academic progress." The old man said evenly.

Minato almost growled. _Kyuubi Jinchuuriki? He can dare say that to me with a straight face?_ "Kira is my son, perhaps not by blood but in every other way that matters. I was not going to let such a transgression slide, especially if another instructor thought they could pull the same tactics on a student they don't like. A teacher doing such blatant things could cost a future shinobi their lives."

"I am not here to question your decision to fire Takahashi-san; such blatantly foolish actions must be dealt with."

Minato furrowed his brow. _We...agree on something?_ he stopped himself from looking to see if the sky was falling, and was split between confusion and suspicion. Suspicion was the safer bet. "Why are you here then?"

"The boy should not have been allowed entry into the Academy," Danzo said flatly, and Minato gritted his teeth, "it had been under different circumstances when the boy's father was allowed to attend, but such allowance now will only continue to be detrimental to all parties involved."

Minato narrowed his eyes. "Kira wants to be a shinobi, and I will not stop that from happening by pulling him out of the Academy."

"That was not what I was suggesting; the boy can continue to learn, but for the benefit of all, it should be done under private instruction."

Minato stilled. _I knew it_. "Oh? And I supposed you already have someone in mind?" he asked sarcastically, but was unsurprised when Danzo produced several folders and laid them on the desk.

"These are all tried and tested shinobi, loyal to the vilage and having no grudge for the Kyuubi. They have been screened extensively and their records checked. All have the specialties of taijutsu, genjutsu, and ninjutsu to round out the boy's skills, and would sharpen his chakra control."

Minato narrowed his eyes when the distinct _lack_ of using Kyuubi's chakra was mentioned, but he didn't doubt for a second that it wasn't coming up. "Let's cut right to the chase, shall we? Kira doesn't need private instructors because he's staying in the Academy, nor does he need anyone's help in overcoming Kyuubi-I helped Kushina-chan the first time, and I can help my son this time."

"I'm aware of the special conditions to which the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki must be treated; 'to combat the demon's hate, the vessel must be filled with love', I'm aware of Mito-sama's teachings as well. Why do you think you and that girl pursuing a relationship with the previous host was not stopped immediately?"

Gritting his teeth, Minato had the urge to throw something. Preferably at the old man in front of him. _No wonder Sarutobi-sama smokes if this is what he had to put up with_. Minato had enough of being critized by old men who thought they knew everything, he really did. "Fine," _If it'll get you out of here faster_ , "I'll consider this arrangement."

_Not._

\----

Kira hadn't been in the best sorts when he interacted with Shisui the previous day, and now he found himself blushing tenfold as though to make up for it as he trailed after the older boy. Taji had allowed him to spend the off day of school training with Shisui and Itachi at the Uchiha compound, so long as Kira came back before dinner. Taji was more lax with him than Minato, and he wondered if it was because she thought ANBU were still watching him.

Kira really didn't know what to think of that. Was it for protection, was it to observe a threat-was it even true? Sighing, he glanced up at Hokage Rock, and frowned to himself. "Do you know how to do tree climbing?"

"Sure I do, every genin is taught how too." Shisui answered amiably. "You thinking about learning it?"

"It's a chakra control exercise, I kinda have to if I want to control my own power," Kira's voice lowered bitterly, his mind flashing back to the unpleasant experience with Kyuubi, "instead of it controlling me."

Shisui have no indication he heard the mutter, but Kira wouldn't put it past him to pick it up. He was a genin after all. "I could show you the basics for tree climbing, but you have to promise not to do it without supervision. Don't wanna konk your head and get laid out, do ya?"

"I promise." Kira said quietly, but inside he was growing excited. Reading about the technique wouldn't give him the insight a live demonstration could. "Can I ask you something? Do you know where they sell chakra paper?"

"Chakra paper?" Shisui echoed, his brow furrowed. "Yeah, you wanna know your elements so soon? What's the rush?"

"It's another part of me I can't let get out of control." Kira answered solemnly. He jerked back startled when out of nowhere the older boy bopped him on the nose. Kira blinked, brows knitting as Shisui grinned teasingly at him.

"Hey now, we've already got one brooding loner with Itachi-kun, don't be doing the same; we're supposed to be a team, remember?" he questioned.

Kira's cheeks reddened again. "A-a team?"

Shisui nodded. "It's our job to make sure Itachi-kun doesn't wrap himself in a shell and never comes back out."

"O-okay-'ttebaro." Kira was still bewildered by the casual interaction, so he had little else to say. He wished he understood why this boy made him so flustered though. "About my question though, do you know where they sell the paper?"

"Pretty much every ninja supply store has them in stock." Shisui paused in front of one such shop, and pointed to the door. "In fact, wait out here."

Before Kira say anything, the older boy walked into the store, and the brunet was hyper aware once more he was alone. His skin crawled as he could feel the heat of the glares boring into him, the scathing whispers no one bothered to tone down. People bustled, but their comments cut through the foot traffic like a knife.

He was more relieved than he'd care to admit when Shisui came out of the shop. "What were you doing in there?" The boy raised a brow, and held up a flat piece of paper. Kira's throat tightened. He knew what that was. "You-you bought that for me?"

"Sure did, and the only charge I want is for you to not tell Itachi-kun I bought one for you but not him." Shisui replied.

Kira's cheeks went red again as he accepted the paper and pocketed it. "O-okay."

"Come on then, I think we're already late to the meeting point."

Kira nodded and hurried after the other boy. He was relieved to be out of the main part of the village, as people strangely tended to avoid going to near the Uchiha compound so there were no people as they walked along the road.

A piercing pain split in his shoulder, and Kira screamed as his arm went numb. He collapsed to the ground, his eyes wide in panic as his fingers tried to grab the wound but found the handle of a kunai instead. He dry heaved, his heart hammering as he pulled the kunai out. Tears pooled in his eyes, and he squeezed them shut.

He started as a hand grabbed his shoulder, and easily took the kunai from him. Kira jerked back, but something inside of him quailed as he caught sight of Shisui's red eyes- _the Sharingan_ , a voice deep inside of him snarled, low and guttural-and for a split second he thought he saw another pattern in Shisui's right eye before the image disappeared with a splitting pain in his head.

"Hey, get the police!" Shisui yelled over at the guards rushing up, and one broke off to sprint back inside the compound, while the other picked up the kunai and asked what happened. "I only managed to get a look at him, damn it I should have stopped it!" he snapped, and Kira winced as Shisui ripped the brunet's sleeve off and started to tie it around the wound, and Kira's stomach dropped as he saw the flakes of small white grains around the wound.

And that's when he started screaming. Hot white pain burned inside of him, his arm on fire as the salt turned the skin around his wound a red almost as dark as the blood seeping out. The disconnect of _fear/worry/anger_ washed over him, and in a moment he felt Shisui being pulled away and a gentle hand was combing over his hair.

"What happened?" Kira wasn't surprised to find Minato had arrived, but he did catch the slight tenseness in the blond's frame as he caught sight of Shisui's Sharingan before the red eyes faded back to their previous dark color.

"We were supposed to meet Itachi for training, but I think someone followed us and poisoned Kira-sama with a salted kunai." Shisui recited, his features tight.

Minato grimaced, and he pulled Kira into his arms, his screams dying down to whimpering. "Did you see who did it?"

"Yes, I was able to memorize his appearance with my Sharingan," Shisui replied, "he wasn't very tall, with a pencil mustache and thick eyebrows; he wore his hitai-ate around his upperarm."

Minato's lips pressed into a straight line, a hard glint in his eyes. "Takahashi Shiro, I fired him yesterday for sabatoging Kira's progress."

"So he decided to take revenge on a little boy?" Shisui asked incredulously.

Minato didn't answer, and Kira didn't doubt what the answer would be. He shouldn't have been surprised, really.

"Namikaze-san." Kira peered over his good shoulder as Fugaku arrived with several other KMPF members. His dark eyes narrowed, taking in the scene for a moment. "Take the boy inside the compound, someone will fetch your medic." his gaze was colder when he looked at Shisui. "What were you two doing?"

"Going to train with Itachi-kun." Shisui answered promptly.

Fugaku's frown deepened for a moment. "Get Itachi and take him back to the house as well."

Minato held Kira more securely, his eyes still hard and Kira felt the barely smothered _anger/rage/fury_ in rising sucession. "It was Takahashi Shiro; have one of your men tell the barrier team to be on the look-out, and another to close the gates." he paused before he left, eyes cold as ice and his voice just short of the terrifying demonic edge Kira had heard in the forest. "I want that _man_ found at all costs."

Kira laid against Minato's shoulder as the man sprinted inside the compound, the world growing to little more than a dizzying mess of colors. His stomach churned, and once Minato stopped, he shoved himself out of the blond's arms, dropping to his knees as his breakfast came back up to greet him. His body ached, and not even the gentle hand rubbing his back helped. _Washing out the smell had been easier, how is the salt supposed to be washed out_ now?

Kira let himself be lifted back up, and he saw Mikoto's startled face as she halted on the porch, took one look at Kira, and her expression tightened.

"Bring him inside, I'll boil a pot of water."

Minato nodded, and Kira hung limply in the blond's grasp as Mikoto led them down the hall, and pulled the paper door blind away from an unused room, and she left while Minato tucked him under the covers on the mat adorning the floor.

"I'm sorry." Kira whispered.

Minato shook his head, kneeling next to him as he wiped the sweat from the boy's brow and the brown bangs were slicked back. "Not your fault." he held Kira's hand in his, squeezing gently. "Once Taji-san gets here she'll be able to clean out the salt, and your healing can work faster."

Kira frowned, guilt still gnawing at him. Minato was pulled from his duties because of this-because of _him_. He didn't argue though, everything hurt too much for that right now. His wound still throbbed, and he grimaced as the blood seeped through the makeshift bandage and left a widening dark stain on the cover.

His eyes turned downcast when Mikoto came in, holding the handles of a pot in her hands, while cloths hung over the side of her apron pocket. "Sorry about the blanket."

"That's the thing about a mat, you can just replace them." Mikoto said, and Kira wasn't sure if she was trying to deliberately keep her tone light, or if she was genuinely okay with it. The woman set the pot next to him, and she dapped one cloth into the water, blowing over it to cool it down, and Kira sighed as the warmth of the water on his head relieved the ache just a little.

Neither of the adults touched his wound, and he was lucky Taji arrived soon after. Her eyes widened, and she handed Naruto off to Minato while she pulled the cover away. She grimaced at the sight of the blood seeping down his arm, and he winced as the stickiness of the blood made taking the sleeve off hurt.

Taji held out her hand, and Mikoto wet the second cloth and the medi-nin dapped the blood away with gentle but firm wipes. Kira didn't think it would have mattered because it still hurt all the same, sending shocks of pain through his arm. Kira looked down, but wished he hadn't-his stomach grumbled, but he had nothing left to vomit. The wound was gaping open, skin peeled along the edges and a bloody red as it took on the characteristic burn pattern he would get from salt poisoning.

"It'll be okay, just breath." Taji said soothingly, and she set the cloth down once the salt on the outside of the wound was washed away. "Now, I won't lie, this is going to hurt, but count backwards in your head from the highest number you can think of. I'm going to burn the salt away that still in your bloodstream, okay?"

Kira nodded nervously, and his eyes squeezed shut as Taji's glowing green hand was planted on his wound. _One hundred, ninety-nine, ninety-eight,_ scorching heat radiated from his wound, pinpricks stabbing into his arm, _ninety-seven, ninety-six,_ the searing grew along the rest of his body, every muscle on fire as the salt was purged, _ninety-five, ninety-four, ninety-three, ninety-two,_ the scorch was almost unbearable, tears streaming down his cheeks as broken sobs were wracked from his body. Someone grabbed his free hand, but he was too numb to clench it back, _ninety-one, eighty, eighty-nine-_

Kira gasped abruptly, his eyes flying open as the pain just _stopped_. His vision focused on the ceiling, the dark oak wood, and his gaze dropped to his wound. Red chakra burned at the edges, and his skin began to stitch itself back together, leaving nothing but a thin off-white scar due to the salt. Kira found the processs honestly more disturbing than seeing his flesh torn open. His eyes flitted to Mikoto as she released his hand, and she smiled relieved. Behind her, Minato's relief was almost palpable.

Taji looked downright exhausted. Kira's arm still felt numb, but he raised his hand and grasped Taji's. "Thank you."

She smiled back at him, dark bags under her eyes, but she ruffled his hair. "You're welcome." Taji took the cloth from his head and re-wet it before placing it back on his forehead. "Just get some rest, and we'll move you back home once you feel better, okay?"

"I don't know about you, but why not stay for dinner?" Mikoto asked as she glanced at Minato, who sighed and shook his head. Mikoto frowned briefly. "Fine, go out and deal with that _shinobi_ first, but I _do_ expect you back to eat later."

The blond blinked, but nodded wearily. "Sure." he hesitated, but handed Naruto to Taji on his way to the door. "Feel better soon, Kira-tan."

"Okay." Kira whispered, and with that, Minato walked out of the room. Mikoto patted the brunet's hand as she cleared away the excess, and Taji let Kira briefly hug Naruto before they too made their way out.

He was alone again, but the gut-wreching awareness of it was dulled. Perhaps it was being in a house of people he _mostly_ trusted, or his senses being too dampened, but he blinked as he only caught onto the footsteps walking hurried to his room before the door was pulled back.

Itachi stopped in the doorway, while Shisui awkwardly hung back behind him, his expression nervous as though afraid they'd get caught. Kira didn't blame him; Mikoto could be scary when she wanted to be.

"Kira-sama, how do you feel?"

"Awful." Kira said bluntly.

"You look awful." Itachi said just as candidly. He frowned at Shisui, a hint of disapproval in his otherwise solemn gaze. "You didn't protect him."

Shisui's brow twitched. "I already feel bad enough, and your father's going to let me have it too. Do you really wanna start this?"

"Well you didn't." Apparently so.

Kira sighed. "It's not his fault," he muttered, his voice still a bit weak, "he couldn't have known someone was stalking us. No one knew someone was going to kidnap me either."

Itachi's lips tugged further down. "Shinobi should always be aware."

Shisui sighed heavily, frustration tinging his features. "Yeah, well, I'd like to see you do a better job."

"I will." Itachi said seriously.

Kira was a bit unsure as to whether he could believe that, or if he wanted to in the first place. "I'm tired, can we just let it go?"

Shisui looked relieved, but Itachi frowned again before he gave a curt nod. Kira stared at the ceiling, his stomach churning as he thought over what happened.

_I should've been more aware. I should've known I'd get hurt for getting that teacher fired._ Minato said it wasn't his fault, but then why did it feel like it? As Kira closed his eyes, his troubling thoughts didn't go away.

\-----

As Takahashi was dragged off to await his execution, Minato couldn't shake the feeling of how much this felt like a set up. Inoichi had gotten confirmation though that Takahashi acted alone, and the evidence was damning that he blamed the 'demon' for 'bewitching' the Hokage and decided to 'take care of it'.

Salt was so easy to come by, and it was a known demon repellent, something used to ward off evil. Kira wasn't bad though, he just had the unfortunate 'luck' of being Kyuubi's revenge against Kushina. Even Naruto hadn't been able to escape being marked by the fox's influence with those whisker marks being a side-effect of just the bare amount they caught in time to purge during his pregnancy.

Minato wasn't under a spell, he was doing what he should have done the first time someone tried to poison Kira. _I thought because Kushina was his father it let me hang back, just be the fun older brother instead of taking responsibility. I won't make that mistake again_. He'd made a promise to himself to protect the people he loved, and so far he found himself falling short. And he hated that feeling.

He wouldn't give Danzo his kid though, but perhaps he could derail things enough just as he'd given Sen to Orochimaru to deflect the inevitable thoughts of what made a half-demon tick. It had been a far-off concern, but it was a concern nonetheless which wasn't out of the realm of possibility. _I just have to think of something_.

On his way back to the Hokage Tower, his mind sharpened on another point, something he had almost overlooked in the confusion and anger. _Where the hell was Kira's ANBU guard?_ Takahashi was only a chuunin, he should easily have been stopped. So what happened?

Storming into his office, he told Yuriko to have Danzo summoned, and he found the scheduling for the guard post. Minato narrowed his eyes down at the names, his mind looking for discrepancies as he correlated the time with the attack. "Inu," he called, knowing Kakashi was still nearby; he felt the teenager's chakra flare to show he was listening, "bring me Kuma, he has some explaining to do."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Kakashi replied, and in an instant his signature was moving away.

Minato looked back down at the folders on his desk, the thought of having to pick a new instructor seeming so far away. His eyes narrowed, and he realized he had his compromise. And when Danzo arrived, he'd be ready.


	8. One Step At A Time

"So, your brilliant plan...was to be an idiot."

Minato winced at Biwako's flat tone, but he _had_ come here in the first place to relay what he'd put into play. He glanced down at his tea cup, and from the corner of his eye noticed Sarutobi didn't seem inclined to agree or disagree one way or the other. Minato knew better though; the old man likely disagreed with the bluntness than the intent behind it.

"You make it sound like I don't know what I'm doing." Minato said mildly, while inside he was trying not to show he felt the opposite.

"You don't though." Biwako retorted. She sipped from her cup, and levelled at him a glare. "Or else you'd damn the old man's words and keep your son away from him!" her voice rose sharply and the blond winced again.

Sarutobi let out a quiet, heavy sigh as he lowered his own tea cup. "Minato-kun, while I understand your reasoning to stop a problem pre-emptively, this decision could backfire on you."

Minato frowned down at his lap, then took a look around the simply decorated living room the three of them were having tea in. Due to him opting out of living in the Hokage Mansion, he hadn't minded if Sarutobi and his family could remain. It's not like he needed the space. Minato grimaced; that hurt more than wanted to admit.

He also didn't think for a second Kakashi wasn't still watching him. _He's been stuck to me like glue, he really needs some time off,_ he thought, and resolved to get that done afterwards. 

"I'm taking precautions," the blond said, his voice more confident than he felt, "in the compromise I gave, not only would Kira-tan be trained by an instructor for the afternoon, but _only_ until the time he would normally be let out at the Academy. And Kira wouldn't be alone with them, because I've put a more attentative ANBU guard to watch him during the lessons; if there's any kind of ROOT brainwashing going on, Tori is to report it to me."

"Well," Biwako sniffed, "I certainly hope you know what you're doing."

Minato grimaced as his words were thrown back at him. Keeping the yang part of Kyuubi a secret, keeping Sen's identity a secret, giving Sen _to_ Orochimaru...yes, he hoped he did too. Then there was the unpleasant suspicion forming in his head ever since he'd seen Shisui's Sharingan yesterday-the brief flash of pain pounding in his skull and the sense of _something's wrong_. 

More than anything, he hoped he could handle what he was doing.  
\------

Kira stared down at his history textbook. It shouldn't have amazed him to have one, but when Itachi nudged him to ask the new Academy instructor the class got for one, the brunet had reluctantly done so. His arm still throbbed from the feel of the kunai in his skin, even if in his mind he knew his healing and Taji's meticulous work took care of the damage. The scar was proof he'd need to be careful still.

So when Kira brought up how Takahashi hadn't given him a textbook, he was undeniably nervous as the new instructor gave him a wary look before handing him one and gruffly shooing him off. Kira was left dazed by it as he could hardly believe it actually worked. He kept staring at the book like it held all the secrets in the world, through recess and kept glancing at it until lunch. Then feeding himself took precedent, but the secondary worry came back also.

Which was how his attention was taken off his book as he grabbed a seaweed onigiri roll he'd made with Taji's help that morning. He blinked as he found three of the five riceballs were already gone, and he sent Itachi a flat stare. The younger boy ignored it even as he wiped his mouth of the incriminating evidence. 

Kira rolled his eyes, but got back to his real worry. "I don't know why Otou-san is separating me from the class; a private tutor is going to make them think I'm stuck up and I don't want our classmates to hate me _more_." It was as though Takahashi being fired gave their class implicit verification of their parents' disdain for Kira. It also made it harder for Kira to tell himself he didn't care what they thought.

"That's impossible." Itachi said bluntly. "They already hate you for breathing, there's nothing left after that."

Kira stared at him. "You're not helping."

"I'm telling you the truth." Itachi retorted. "That _is_ helping."

Kira shook his head, but flinched as something soft and spongy hit his cheek. It left a greasy smear down his face as it fell onto the grass. Kira tensed as he took in the thin, square, browned slice of tofu. His nose filled with the mix of seasonings and his mouth watered just as his brain realized what this was. It was the reason he couldn't eat inarizushi, kitsune udon or have it with his miso soup in public without getting hateful stares, like he was confirming everything people thought of him.

Aburage. 

The brunet found the thrower standing several feet away, an older boy smirking at him as he held a package containing the rest of the aburage.

"Well, aren't you gonna eat it? Don't foxes just _love_ this stuff?" The older boy asked disdainfully. "Or are you going to let it go to waste? Wow, a freak and a picky-eater."

"You're the one throwing away food, so wouldn't that make you the one letting it go to waste?" Kira glanced at Itachi, who was staring at the taunter with a narrow-eyed gaze. Seeing him so serious was always rather strange, but for once Kira wasn't put off by his well-reasoned retort.

The older boy though just looked annoyed. "What do you know? You Uchihas think you're all high and mighty-your clan probably _was_ responsible for the demon woman unleashing Kyuubi on us all!"

Kira didn't know whether it was anger reaching a boiling point, or if it was the smack against Kushina, but he found himself launching at the older boy, his fist flying to catch him in his taunting mouth. Kira became hyper aware of everything around him; the students gasping as he stood over the other boy, his fist bloody from where his knuckle had knocked out a tooth, the metallic scent of blood in the air, and the other boy clutching his mouth as he curled up on the grass. 

"What is going on over here?!" The chaperone came rushing over, and Kira bitterly realized that _of course_ they'd arrive once things escalated. Their eyes took in the scene, and scowled fiercely at Kira. "Uzumaki, why am I not surprised. First you get Takahashi-san fired just because you're being difficult, and now you go and start fights for no reason-"

"He was defending me." Itachi cut in sharply, and the chaperone looked as surprsed as Kira felt. Wasting no time though, the younger boy continued with his lie-a lie quite frankly no one but Kira could discern if it were the truth or not. "This student," he nodded to the downed older boy, "insulted my clan by saying we were responsible for the Kyuubi attack."

The chaperone paled, scowl fading to a frown. "There will still be a complaint, but given such clear provocation is grounds for this to be just kept as a schoolyard spat." They glared at Kira for good measure before ushering the injured boy off, the warning full of 'you got lucky this time'.

Kira frowned as he wiped the blood off his knuckle, and heard the muttering of students behind him as the crowd dispersed. They sounded almost disppointed-either because the 'fight' ended too quickly or he didn't get in trouble. "Why'd you do that?"

"Because it was the truth." Itachi said simply. "Though I suppose how long it stays that way depends on you."

Kira paused, his mind going back to Tsunade's words. _The truth...from a certain perspective; it wasn't like my reaction_ couldn't _have been because the Uchihas were insulted_. "Yeah, I guess it does. Thanks."

Itachi only nodded curtly.

Kira was about to sit back down, but blinked as he saw Minato walking up to the gate. He bit his lip, his mind going back that morning, of being surprised to find the blond home only for him to explain about how things were going to be. _I don't know whether this is a good thing or a bad thing_. He still didn't, because being seen as stuck up was valid reasoning, but he couldn't deny the fact he _needed_ to get stronger. "I guess it's time for me to go. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow."

"You too, Kira-sama." Itachi replied shortly.

Kira grimaced as he wiped the smear off his cheek, and picked up his things before meeting Minato half-way. Whispers broke out around them, students pointing as some looked at the blond in awe, while others were glaring at Kira. The brunet did his best to ignore them. "I'll be honest, I didn't expect you to take me to this instructor yourself." he explained, shame evident on his face for thinking it.

Minato only smiled softly as he ruffled his hair. "I know I haven't been around for a while, but I'm taking whatever chance I have to be with you." he said, his hand slipping around Kira's as he led the boy off the Academy grounds. "Plus, it kinda helps since I realized how useful a Kage Bunshin could be-really takes the pressure off paperwork."

Kira furrowed his brow at his step-father's sheepish smile, like the blond just realized what the jutsu let him do. "Is it really that useful? Could I learn it?"

"I'm not sure," Minato answered uneasily, "since even though a regular Bunshin might not be possible for you to use, I still want to hold off on that until you get a little older." he smiled again though to soften the words. "But don't let that discourage you, you just need to take things one step at a time."

Kira nodded, but his chest tightened as he recalled the way the chakra paper reacted that morning when he used it. The result had him staring until Taji called him for breakfast, but even with his uneasiness, he realized it was one less thng to worry about. "So what are you gonna do while your shadow clone does your paperwork?"

"Quite a few things I've been too busy to do since I got reinstated." Minato replied, and scratched the back of his head. "It feels like I've spent all my time in the office, you know?"

Kira shrugged as he shyly looked away. "I didn't want to mention it, but since you brought it up..." he let out an 'ouf' as Minato reached down to haul him into his arms, and Kira reflexively gripped the blond's shoulder as Minato held him securely. Kira blushed as he buried his face into the man's haori. "I'm getting too big to be carried around."

"Nonsense, you'll never be too big for me to carry." Minato said as he playfully nuzzled Kira's hair while the boy blushed harder. That was _not_ what he meant and Minato knew it! 

_Still, this is nice_. Kira smiled faintly as he basked in the glow of his step-father's love, his earlier bad mood lessening a little. "Just wait, someday I'll be bigger and then I can carry _you_ around."

Minato chuckled. "We'll see about that. Both your mom and dad weren't what you could call tall women."

Kira huffed. "Nu uh."

Minato's lips quirked up. "Yeh-huh!" Kira snickered at his step-father's childish bantering.

"Hokage-sama!" Kira noticed Minato's eye twitch, but the brunet's face flushed as Shisui came running up behind them. The older boy appeared mildly surprised when he saw Kira peer at him over Minato's shoulder, but smiled at him. "Kira-sama."

"Did you need to tell me something, Shisui-kun?" Minato's voice held a strained edge as he slowed to a halt. Kira squirmed in the blond's grasp and he was obligingly set down on his feet as Shisui walked in front of them.

"Yes, sir. I was on my way to your office when I spotted you and thought it was better to be direct with the message." Shisui said, his eyes lowered respectfully. "Mikoto-sama accepted your request to spar with her, she told me to relay to you that she will have the afternoon free if you wish to stop by the Uchiha compound."

Kira raised a brow at the oddly formal manner the other boy spoke with, but he shouldn't have been surprised. 

"I see." Minato said quietly. "Thank you. Now, is that all?"

"Not quite." Shisui said, and Kira jolted when the other boy looked at him. "It looks like you and Itachi-kun will be training by yourselves for now. My teammates and I were nominated for the chunnin exams held in Suna, and our sensei wants us to head out tomorrow morning."

Kira tilted his head. It was a bit odd that Shisui seemed more melancholic than proud, but he shrugged. "That's great?" he questioned. 

"That's right, the chunnin exams." Minato muttered, a grimace beginning to curl at his lips. His shoulders slumped, as though a weight had been put back on his shoulders. "Now, I'll ask again, is that all? I don't want Kira-tan to be late for his first meeting with his instructor."

Shisui's eyes widened a fraction, and he hastily stepped out of the way. "No, sir! Nothing else at all." he ducked his head as Minato nodded curtly and the blond tugged Kira along.

The brunet frowned slightly as he glanced back at the older boy before looking up at Minato. "What was that about?" Though even as he said it, Kira was not certain as to _what_ even he himself was referring too. Was it just the way Shisui acted, or the exchange in general? Hmm, Kira would have to ponder it later, because right now the two of them walked onto one of the training grounds. 

The new area was mostly dirt with a surrounding forest, owing to its continued use for either genin teams being trained or just for training period. Several training posts were set up in the dirt, faint scratches knotched into the wood. It made Kira wonder if they got replaced often or not. His attention was drawn to the only other person on the grounds- that he could see- standing beside a plain wooden crate. It was a young woman, perhaps in her mid-twenties, with long black hair tinted blue and around her forehead was a leaf hitai-ate. She wore plain black clothes and green sandals, and the standard green flak jacket anyone above genin seemed to always wear.

"Yoshi Haruka-san?" Minato called, and the woman gave a polite bow, though her expression was calm and neutral.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." She glanced down at Kira, her features remaining even-giving away no sign of her true opinion about him. "Uzumaki-san."

"Things progressed so quickly, you don't mind answering a few of my questions, do you?" Minato asked lightly.

Yoshi shook her head. "Of course not."

"Great!" Minato clapped his hands, a smile accompanying the word. "Your file says you've been a jounin for three years-why haven't you applied to become a jounin-sensei? Why offer your skills as a private instructor?"

"It would have been irresponsible of me to try for such a thing so early on. Even with three years of experience, I do not feel qualified to take responsibility of three rookies, depending on whether they could advance beyond the pass-fail test." Yoshi explained, which had Kira's ears perking up; pass-fail? Was there seriously _another_ test to graduate than simply being able to do ninjutsu?

Minato glanced down at him, his right cheek hollowing as he bit the inside of his mouth for a moment. "I see." he said. "And you think you are qualified to teach my son?"

Yoshi's brows creased slightly, a frown tugging at her lips as confusion briefly flashed in her eyes. It was gone in a second though. "With all due respect, were you not the one who gave the final say, Hokage-sama?"

Minato gave any outward reaction, nor could Kira see any hidden tension in his posture. The brunet wasn't a fully-trained ninja though, so he couldn't be sure. "I did." he knelt down next to Kira, and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder to face him. "Remember: behave, don't be afraid to ask questions, and I'll be back to pick you up at four."

Kira bit his lip as he nodded, processing the information as Minato ruffled his hair before he started walking away. He clapsed his hands after setting down his bag, fingers twiddling nervously as he tried to think of how to break the silence once they were alone. "A-ano, what do I call you?" His cheeks flushed as he realized how silly a question it was.

"Sensei will suffice." Yoshi replied. She folded her arms behind her back, eyes trained on him keenly. "Now, what skills do you have as of right now?"

Kira blinked, and he avoided eye contact as he fidgeted. "I...have some shuriken and kunai I practice with, but I'm not very good at it. I know how to do the leaf excercise, but I can only make it stay on my forehead for seven minutes. I can do some katas Otou-san showed me. I know the handseals for the summoning technique, but I'm not allowed to use it." he bit his lip when Yoshi did nothing but raise a brow, and he took a deep breath. "And I used chakra paper to find out what my affinities are."

Yoshi's eyes narrowed slightly, her posture tensing. "And?"

"Well, my father's were wind and water, no real surprise about the result, right?" Kira shrugged, still avoiding eye contact. 

"Indeed. Then to start with I want you to practice with these." Yoshi reached into the crate and pulled out a box of shuriken. She furrowed her brow as Kira hesitated. "What's wrong?"

"I...it's just these are-are _real_ ones. I only just started using dulled ones." Kira replied.

Yoshi stared at him for a moment. She narrowed her gaze slightly. "Your aspiration is to be a shinobi, correct?" Kira nodded. "Do you think your enemy is going to be using dulled weaponry?" 

Kira shook his head, but when Yoshi didn't start speaking again, he realized she wanted a verbal answer. "No, Sensei."

"And did your kidnapper use dulled kunai?"

Kira's heart jumped into his throat, breath catching as his mind jerked back to the memory of Sen standing over him, the sharp kunai in his grip as it locked with his own duller one in Minato's grasp. His mind had been foggy and everything hurt, but he remembered the moment Minato arrived to save him, and the kunai he threw was _not_ dull. 

"No." he whispered. When Yoshi held the box out to him, Kira accepted it without a word.

"For now, you will work on your throwing, all three posts down to only one, and then you will hit the target I mark on the post. You will have exactly an hour-and-a-half to do this, and we will move next to taijutsu." Yoshi explained, her eyes narrowing a fraction. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sensei."

\-----

Minato knew suspecting Yoshi Haruka of being ROOT was _not_ an invalid concern, but damn it if her tracks hadn't been covered. Though if Tori didn't want to end up demoted like Kuma, he'd better inform the blond the second something began to look suspicious. Minato hadn't wanted to leave as quickly as he did, but it would have been odd if he decided to watch the session.

Besides, Minato needed to have all his wits about him right now. In the months Orochimaru had Sen, he'd only managed to safely get him out of the scroll recently. Apparently Sen's scroll had begun shaking violently with red chakra leaking out until it was subdued by pouring salt over it. And now that Minato had a few hours to spare as his shadow clone did the paperwork, he had a few _questions_ he wanted to ask Sen.

His footsteps echoed as he walked down the staircase into the laboratory. All the jars lined along the shelf creeped him out in the beginning, but at least now he hid it better. The fact the room was so well-lit did _not_ help, but it let his eyes be drawn to the two occupants (that he coud see, anyway) right away. "Orochimaru-sama," he called, "how goes it with Sen?"

The man turned away from the desk he stood in front of, and his yellow, snake-like eyes locked onto the blond. "Equal parts frustrating and fascinating." he chuckled softly, and glanced over at the door at the back of the room. "It took nearly three hours to keep him subdued, and that was just getting him out of the scroll. Securing him turned out to be a simpler venture-I dare say it's like he never knew how to counteract a simple genjutsu."

Minato nodded. That had been a discrepancy he noticed when he fought Sen; the other blond dressed like a shinobi and even had a headband and simple weapons training, but how could he know how to use chakra to stick to walls though not any ninjutsu? Then there was that flame he called upon without handseals. "Perhaps it was arrogance; Sen had seemed adamant he was going to beat me."

"Yes, quite a folly for one to possess, especially if they do not have the skills to support such claims." Orochimaru looked at Minato, smiling thinly. "And if it were to be let out you defeated a demon, why, I dare say you would be hailed as even more of a hero than you already are."

Minato didn't let himself react to the passive-aggressive taunt, especially as he noticed the man's apprentice watching them both attentively. "I am not a hero, I am a father who acted to protect my son." he replied modestly. 

Orochimaru gave him a severe, brief glare before his jaw clenched for a moment. "I have found so far that when injured, Sen's skin heals almost immediately-not surprising really. The interesting thing was when I applied salt, not only did the wound take longer to heal- almost an hour in fact- but it left a scar."

Minato's expression was neutral, but inside he was thinking of the scar on Kira's shoulder. His son would have taken an hour to get better while being in agony? It was enough to make Minato think of raising Taji's pay. _Why not, she's been good to my kids_. "Since I doubt Sen would let you hurt him without fighting back, has he tried to escape?"

"Oh, multiple times." Orochimaru replied easily. "He tried to bite and claw at us when we'd try to feed him, but it seems even for a half-demon he still needs food and water. In any case, he stopped trying to attack when he realized we would only keep starving him. The adjusted chakra suppression seals have managed to curb him from drawing on his chakra, but, well, we almost ended up with a massacre when we found the original seal wasn't strong enough to withstand a large burst of his demonic chakra."

Minato couldn't stop himself from looking at the man in shock, unsure of whether to feel appalled or horrified by just what he was told or how _flippant_ Orochimaru was about it. "Sen almost escaped and you didn't think to report it to me?"

"Your instructions were to report in should he _actually_ escape." Orochimaru retorted. "We stopped him before he could make it out of his room, and added a Gogyō Fūin to distrupt his chakra pathway. We've also coated the floor in salt as an extra precaution." his eyes narrowed. "Though if you still doubt me, see for yourself." he raised a hand, and gestured to the door at the back of the room.

Minato breathed in deeply, and made his way up to the oak door. It had a single window in the top of the fixture, and the blond leaned forward to peer in. He gritted his teeth as his eyes locked on the form inside. Slowly, two gray eyes rose and looked straight into his, a sneer slowly curling at Sen's lips. 

Salt was poured all over the floor, focused mostly around Sen and the large chakra draining seal etched into the floor under him. Chains were wrapped around him, at his waist and legs and spikes driven into the ground, and his arms were held suspended in the air and his hands covered by cloth and extra seals on the back of them. Scars littered across his skin- his arms, neck, face, some short and thin, others long and jagged-and those were the ones he _could_ see. 

Minato tore his gaze away, his eyes catching sight of the salt again. As he stared at the circle surrounding Sen though, something stirred in the back of his mind. He grimaced as he touched the block, frustration coursing through him as it was part of the memories which alluded him. _Think about it later, deal with this now._

Granted, dealing with Sen was _not_ something he found anymore pleasant than being brought to his knees by a headache.

Minato forced himself to open the door, and closed it behind him. Each step he took towards the bound man was heavy, a resounding urge from all fronts to punch him in the face. He still saw Kira's body hanging on Sen's claws. The blond growled low in the back of his throat.

Sen grinned up at him, his lips pulled too wide over his teeth. "Look who finally came to see me." he whispered, his voice soft and hoarse. Minato wondered if it had anything to do with the thin jagged scar across his throat. "Don't worry, I haven't said anything about what happened," his eyes gleamed maliciously, "it's still our little secret."

Minato's fist clenched, and a brief flash of disappointment coursed through him. Too bad Sen's vocal cords hadn't been severed completely. "If you think you can use that as leverage against me, you're dead wrong."

Sen chuckled softly, his grin dimming as his eyes looked at him thoughtfully. "Oh, I don't plan on using such a dirty trick-that's what you humans do. Or, do you count anymore I wonder?" he tilted his head curiously. 

"I'll be asking the questions." Minato retorted. "Why would you masquerade as an Iwa shinobi?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Sen muttered. "You humans are so easy to mislead; by the time you figured out you'd been had I would be long gone with my adorable little cousin." he shrugged as much as he could. "And if you all killed each other, well, it's of no concern to me."

Minato narrowed his eyes. "Not even about your home village?"

Sen hissed. "I think I've made it clear what I think of _that place_. Did you come here to waste my time? Or is that pretty head of yours filled with nothing but air between your ears?"

Minato couldn't believe the spiel that came out of Sen's mouth. Being near him made him want to take a shower. "Your actions could have caused another war."

"Do I look like I care?" Sen asked bluntly. "With you fighting each other, I get to spend more time with my cousin."

"Kira...or Yugito?" Minato asked, and Sen snarled at him, lunging forward before the chains pulled taut. Electricity coursed across his body and he gasped as his form slumped. "What, you couldn't get this person so you came after my son intead?"

Sen growled low as he glared at Minato from beneath his fringe. His eyes started turning red, but winced as the seals on body glowed and the red bled back to gray. "He's not yours," he whispered, though despite the soft tone, nothing but bitterness and hate filled his voice, "you don't deserve him." His lips curled into another sneer. "So you can stand there and tell me he's your son all you want, but answer me this: why is it when all the other villages found out about Kira being a Jinchuuriki, they didn't find out about _you_?"

Minato's insides turned to ice, his chest tightening as he heard the accusation for what it was. Was Sen suggesting that he did this _on purpose_? His lips pulled back into a snarl, eyes narrowed. "I love Kira, and had I realized what was happening sooner, I would have told everyone the truth."

"But you didn't." Sen retorted. "You're letting him be the only scapegoat-you can honestly tell me you love him?"

Minato's hand found its way around Sen's throat, his shoulders tense as he stopped himself from strangling him. _Don't, he wants you to do this_ , he thought, and released his grip. "You forget, but I quite clearly remember you hurting Kira for your _own_ selfish desire."

Sen snarled at him. "Get out, I have nothing more to say to you."

"Not so fun when it's you on the other end, is it?" Minato questioned.

"Like you're one to talk," Sen lips curled again, but Minato's skin crawled as those gray eyes narrowed into a leer as they focused on his his wider hips, "given you've got a snot-nosed brat of your own."

Disgust gave way to anger, but Minato refused to reply. He wouldn't admit it, least of all to _this person_ , that he was self-conscious about the changes. That he didn't know what it meant to keep the Seahorse Seal on past the pregnancy, never bothering to read anything besides the immediate effects due to the belief he'd _only_ have the seal on for ten months. _Just one more thing I need to brush up on._

Minato was about to leave, when Sen spoke up one more time, "When I get out, I'll wring from your pretty neck every scream I have uttered here in full."

Closing his eyes to calm himself, Minato gave no indication he heard anything Sen said, but his fingers gripped the door knob tightly as he marched out. He glanced to the side where Orochimaru stood, and the Sannin smirked.

"Ah, he got to you, did he? Yes, he's quite irritating like that." he said. "If it weren't necessary for him to speak I'd have silenced his voice permanently."

"He didn't give me anything useful, just a bunch of nonsense," Minato replied, "but if he tries to escape again-I want to be informed."

He almost lost control in there, and at least if Sen were trying for a break-out, Minato would have a reason to punch his face in. Relieve some tension for not being able to ask all his questions.

\-----

Kira stared at the three posts, wincing as he saw that only a handful of shuriken managed to get in, while the rest were littered on the ground. Handling a shuriken and kunai were different in theory, but actually holding one and using it was something else. He glanced at Yoshi, who's face was impassive and her posture gave nothing away.

"Clean it up, I will get the other tools." Was all she said.

Kira blinked as she opened the crate, but went about picking all the scattered shuriken and set them back in the box he'd gotten. "I thought these _were_ the only tools I'd be using?"

"If you thought that your knowledge is severely limited." Yoshi said, her voice without an ounce of disdain, but it made Kira flinch all the same. "Shinobi have many tools, or have a speciality with a certain type. Since it would not do for you to be so lacking, before we move on to taijutsu, I will have you test a weapon to your liking."

"Okay." Kira said it hesitantly as he handed her all the gathered up shuriken. "You are the sensei here." Yoshi nodded curtly, and pulled out a collapsable bo staff. Kira held the staff in his grasp, his fingers barely large enough to grip it properly. The brunet spun it, but one blunt end smacked him in the head. "Ow!" 

Yoshi sighed quietly as Kira glowered at the staff that clattered to the ground. "Obviously not." she traded in the staff for nunchaku, but Kira only twirled the end for it to _again_ hit him on the forehead. She didn't bother saying anything as she grabbed it from him. 

Kira found in his hands a small wooden sword, but when he looked up, he screamed as Yoshi was about to smack him in the head with another wooden blade. He ducked, horrified by being so trusting. When the pain didn't come though, he warily unshielded himself and his eyes widened. 

Tori stood behind Yoshi, his tanto held at her throat as the wooden blade stopped inches from striking him. _"Explain yourself."_

Yoshi lowered her sword, and Kira was incredulous as to how she could remain so calm. "A blade is one of the few weapons that must have a partner to spar with to gauge skill. His reflex is poor-he cowered when he should have blocked."

"You should not have acted without warning." Tori said. 

"He is safe," Yoshi said, and for a moment her eyes narrowed, "for you are here to protect him, ANBU-san."

Kira let out a shaky breath as he got back to his feet. "I-I'm okay, 'ttebaro."

Tori held still, but slowly removed his tanto and nodded to Kira. "Very well, obocchama."

Kira blinked, and wasn't surprised to find him gone. His eyes lifted to Yoshi, who once more looked impassively back at him. 

"That's a no to the katana then." she tugged the sword from him, and pulled out a small folding fan.

Kira furrowed his brow as he examined the fan. He'd never seen anyone using _this_ as a weapon, and he frowned as he ran his fingers over the open ribbing, the paper bending under his touch. "I don't understand, how can this help in a fight? Wouldn't it break?"

"This is only a training fan," Yoshi explained, "the style is called tessenjutsu, and should one take up the art, they would move on to using a more re-enforced war fan."

"Oh." Kira said quietly. He waved the fan at the ground in short, jerky movements, but felt the periphery of the breeze generated as it stirred up the dirt at his feet. "Could this, well, help me with learning how to use a wind affinity?"

"Yes, a fan can be a medium to power the force of a wind jutsu, and using wind chakra on a proper tessen can sharpen the ends to slice your enemies." Yoshi replied. "Given your chakra natures, it would also work with your water affinity to enhance the concussive force of such attacks."

Kira nodded, mulling it over in his mind. "Then I choose this, I want to learn tessenjutsu."

"Then for your assignment, I want you to bring in a scroll on the style, and tomorrow you will practice the katas for several of the moves." Yoshi said. "Do you understand?" Kira nodded. "Good, now we will work on taijutsu," she folded her arms, "show me your katas, and I will tell you what you're doing wrong."

Kira sighed, but slid into a stance. He had a feeling she wasn't going to be as nice as Minato in criticizing him.

\-----

Agitation and leftover adrenaline made Minato almost jittery as he wiped his face, his breathing labored but found himself only winded rather than flat-out exhausted. He peered out from under the towel as Mikoto handed him a water bottle, a wet towel placed on her own head to cool down, and he accepted the bottle. "Thanks."

She nodded and sat down beside him on the porch of her home. "It's been a while since we've really gotten a chance to spar, hasn't it?"

Minato nodded, his eyes far-away. "Like only yesterday you refused to fight me when Jiraiya-sensei was testing our skill 'cause you thought it was 'beneath you.'" he grinned faintly as Mikoto scoffed.

"I'll have you know that I was only trying to save you the embarassment; you might have been two years younger than me or Genki, but you looked like a little kid." she replied. She peered at the slash that tore a line through Minato's shirt, just above his waist. "Either you're getting rusty, or Taji-san's diet isn't strict enough."

Minato blanched, his eyes darting to the house where he knew the medi-nin was inside with Naruto and Sasuke. He'd just gotten Taji to let up with him eating the natto for practically every meal, and was in no mood to go back to it. No, the cut was from something else. "I guess you're not as rusty as I am apparently." He didn't let it show, but his stomach had dropped when he saw Mikoto activate her doujutsu, just like when he'd seen Shisui's. "You only used your Sharingan at the end of the fight."

"I doubt you're used to fighting with the changes in your body." Mikoto said, and Minato glanced at her. She took a sip before continuing. "My hips were wider after I had Itachi, but it did make Sasuke's birth a bit easier." she smiled gently at him. "If, you know, you ever feel up to it in the future, maybe you'll find yourself having another child."

Minato didn't answer, taking the excuse to gulp down the water. He sighed heavily as he rested the bottle against his leg. "I don't know about that. It's only ever been Kushina and Sachiko, and I just can't see myself being with someone else now."

Mikoto considered him carefully, and placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "I know you loved them, but...you shouldn't close yourself off to ever being happy again."

Minato flinched, shrugging off the woman's hand as he stared at her with narrowed eyes. "I _am_ happy." he said firmly, because telling himself that was all he could do to get through the day. "I love my kids, and I won't split my attention between them and myself anymore." He wouldn't regret being Hokage, but he did regret how little time he got to spend with Kira and Naruto-at least Kyuubi was good for extending the chakra for his shadow clones now.

"What about when they're older?" Mikoto pressed. "Is that when you'll finally have time for yourself?"

"I doubt I'll ever have that, just a shaky stability if I can manage to find the right balance." Minato replied. "Tsume's been managing with Hana, Kiba and her clan duties since Genki left her."

"She also has her clan to help her with her children." Mikoto pointed out.

Minato raised a brow. "And I don't? I thought we were family."

The woman's eyes widened, but narrowed in accusation. "That's not what I meant and you know it. I would never turn you away if you needed help. Itachi and Kira already get along, and I know Naruto and Sasuke will too."

As if on cue, simultaneous wailing broke out in the house. 

Minato rubbed his brow. "You were saying?" he asked sardonically. Mikoto shrugged and got to her feet to make her way inside. The blond was about to follow her, but a voice stopped him.

"Hokage-sama?"

Minato frowned briefly before looking back and seeing Shisui walking up, a worn out book in his hands. "Yes?"

"I just-" The younger boy broke off, his expression uncertain, but he breathed in deep as he held the book out to the blond. "Here, I thought you might like this-and, well, make amends for angering you."

Minato almost slapped himself. Great, now he felt guilty for being mad at Shisui. "It's not anything you did, it's just..." he paused as he took the book. "I probably shouldn't say anything."

Shisui lowered his gaze. "It's because Kira-sama has a crush on me, isn't it?" Minato jolted, staring at him disbelief. The genin shrugged. "It wasn't hard to notice, and I know you're mad just because you're protective of him."

_At least he didn't call me a mother hen_. Because he was _definitely_ not. Would a mother hen make the Hiraishin seal capable of being used without his tagged kunai just so he could get to his child's location in even quicker instant? For the sake of feeling normal, Minato chose to selectively ignore that epiphany. "You do realize admitting you know about the crush makes your amends sound fake, right?"

Shisui stared at him, slowly blinking as the realization likely came over him. "Ah, right," he said, shifting back, "I should be going, I have to pack for my trip!" 

Minato furrowed his brow as Shisui took off, and he shook his head. He did eye the book the boy gave him-why did he feel the need to lie about why he wanted him to have this? Minato's gaze was drawn to the kanji writting down the spine, and his eyes widened. _Namikaze Junichi? Where did Shisui-kun get this?_ Almost immediately, Minato realized the inherent foolishness of that question. Of _course_ it would likely be in the Uchiha's archives, but that led to why Shisui wanted him to have this specific one.

Shaking his head, Minato put the book carefully inside of his pocket, and turned around at the sound of approaching footsteps. He raised a brow as both Taji and Mikoto came walking out, the two holding the children away from each other. "Everything okay?"

"If you call we need to leave before Naruto-chan and Sasuke-chan kill each other, then yes, everything's okay." Taji said flatly.

Minato snorted. Naruto reached for him, and the blond picked up his miniature, holding him close as he snuggled into his chest. "What happened?"

"The boys were fighting over a stuffed animal. It wasn't pretty." Mikoto explained, and she giggled as Sasuke made grabby hands for Minato. "Isn't this cute, he wants you to hold him too."

Minato smiled softly as he leaned down towards the infant. "Sorry Sasuke-chan, but my arms are full." he winced as the baby grabbed a blond lock and tugged on it. "Yeah, we should get going, I need to pick up Kira-tan soon."

"Well, if you're sure, don't be a stranger about stopping by though." Mikoto said.

Minato nodded, but paused as he thought of the journal. "By the way, I was wondering, since we're family and all-do you think I could take a look at where you keep the Namikaze records? I know it's a strange thing to ask, but I've been wanting to get back to my roots and all."

Mikoto blinked slowly, but a smile lit up her face. "You do? That's wonderful. Stop by anytime and I'm sure I can help you find what you're looking for." she paused, furrowing her brow. "Do you have an idea though of where you'd wand to start?"

"Perhaps it's a long shot, but I can remember my parents talking about someone-a Namikaze Jun, or Junichi-something like that." Minato explained, but he was surprised to find Mikoto seized at the name, and even Sasuke looked up at her.

The tension in the air dissipated, and the woman smiled again. "I'm sure we have some record of them."

Minato nodded. "Thank you." His thoughts lied with the book again, and it made him even more curious as to why Shisui gave it to him.

\------

"Tomorrow, we will work on continuing your shurikenjutsu, begin your tessenjutsu, and I will teach you to dispel genjutsu."

Kira nodded. "Hai, Sensei."

"Kira-tan?" A voiced called out, and Kira beamed as he saw Minato walking up the trail.

"Otou-san!" The brunet grabbed his bag before sprinting towards the man, and he was scooped up into his arms. "I learned so much today!"

"That's great, you can tell me on the way home." Minato smiled as he nuzzled his cheek, but his demeanour was more professional as he nodded at Yoshi. "You're dismissed, have a pleasant evening, Yoshi-san."

The woman nodded before taking her leave. 

Kira leaned against Minato's shoulder as the blond walked back down the path. "I got kinda better at my target practice using shuriken, but I can't get the aiming right with a kunai. Sensei helped my stances with the katas I learned, and showed me a new one to practice. I also want to learn tessenjutsu and she told me to bring in a scroll with the style for it so I can start learning, dattebaro!"

Minato's smile was serene, and whether or not he followed along, Kira didn't care as the man seemed genuinely invested with what he was saying. "You sure learned a lot today. I'm so proud of you."

Kira's cheeks flushed, happiness coursing through him in waves, from the tips of his fingers down to his toes. It left him almost light-headed with how delirious it made him want to hear those words again. "Can you help me find a scroll?"

"Sure, let's stop at the library and I'm sure they'll have something in there." Minato replied, and Kira forced down his agitation as he nodded.

The walk through the village was as uneasy as always, and Kira fiddled with the strap of his satchel as he was set onto his feet. There might be a large black ink stain on the front, but Kira refused to throw it out-he wouldn't let anyone know how much it got to him. Just like he threw the cover of his chakra book out than the actual book itself. 

Gripping Minato's hand, the two of them made their way inside the building, where the librarian's glare was cut off by her eyes widening at the sight of the blond.

She stood quickly and bowed. "Hokage-sama, how may I be of service?"

Minato narrowed his eyes briefly, but a pleasant smile crossed his lips. "Librarian-san, I am looking for scrolls that contain information about tessenjutsu."

The woman adjusted the headband keeping her hair back. "Ah, I'm sure there's something that you can use here."

Minato blinked. "Oh, it's not for-" Kira made a strangled noise, and he quickly shook his head. The blond sighed, his expression sad as he realized just why saying Kira wanted it wouldn't go over well. "Yes, I'm thinking of taking it up."

"This way, sir," she paused, shoulders tensing as Minato hadn't let go of Kira's hand, "wouldn't you rather leave...that boy here, I'm sure the patrons wouldn't want to be disturbed."

"I fail to see how Kira could be a bother to anyone." Minato said.

The woman pursed her lips. "Very well," she said reluctantly, "it's likely in the back."

Kira's grip tightened on Minato's, the heat of the glares levelled at him causing his skin to crawl. Perhaps it was the already tense atmosphere, but the air felt incredibly oppressive. It was as though their anger and seething hate were like pinpricks against his skin. 

As it were, he was more than happy once they got out of the library, but the 'needles against his skin' followed him all the way through the village. Only his step-father and the tessen scroll kept his mind off the glares following him.

At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

\-----

It had been brewing in the back of his mind for most of the day, and once the day was over and the children were put to bed, Minato sat on the edge of his mattress. He took off his haori and hung it on the hanger behind his door, but paused before changing into his sleep ware. When he'd gotten home with Kira, he'd changed his shirt and offered to let the boy stitch up the cut in it. 

He smiled fondly as he remembered Kira's beaming face as he raced to his bedroom. Minato wondered if he'd gotten started, and changed his clothes into his sleep ware. He wasn't quite ready for bed, as he decided now in the privacy of his home was where he could check out the journal. He took it out of his nightstand, and traced over the kanji before examing the rest of the book.

It was very old, with the edges frayed and the brown leather splotchy in places. Minato couldn't put an estimation on the date, since for all he knew it could be from the time Konoha was founded as a village or when the Uchiha were still a wandering clan. A piece of sinew kept the journal closed, and Minato undid the knot, starting as a piece of paper slipped out, clattering to the floor.

Minato set down the journal, and noticed writing on the back before flipping it over-his eyes widened. It wasn't _just_ a paper, it was a photograph. The edges were borded in white, with the center picture in black and white. In the olden days pictures had no color, and he wasn't surprised to find no one in the photo smiling due to how long the process of _taking_ the portrait must have been.

Four adults stood in front of a house; there was only one woman in the photo, with long dark hair and dark eyes, wearing a long shirt and skirt, while holding an infant in her arms, and clinging to her skirt in front of her stood a child of toddler age, both child having equally dark hair and eyes. The man to her left wore a short-sleeved shirt and pants held up with a belt, his hair tied up into a spiky ponytail with bangs hanging over his forehead and framing the sides of his face, his hair and eyes being dark in color. 

It was a theme broken by the man in the center, shaggy light hair framing his face, and wearing a kimono tied together with a sash, two children standing in front of him, both a little older than the toddler, with the same light hair but having dark eyes. The blond man already gave Minato an uneasy feeling, seeing the angular features and narrowed eyes reflected back everyday in the mirror, but the last one in the photo made his stomach drop and the mental block cause a faint headache when he recognized him.

Long spiky black hair covering his right eye with bangs that ended at his shoulders, a stern unsmiling face even more severe than the frowns everyone else in the photo had, and plated armour he was almost never seen without in any photos Minato saw afterwards, and despite the old coloring making it appear dark, the blond knew it was red. 

_Is...is this really..._ Minato almost didn't want to mention it as the faint pounding in his head ached, and he forced himself to look back at the words scrawled across the back of the photo, but there it was for him to see as it listed the names of the people in the picture. _It is, right there: Uchiha Clan Co-head, Uchiha Madara_. Minato bit his lip as he read through the other names, unsurprised to find the next listed was Izuna since this was obviously from _before_ Madara became the only one, while Minato assumed the woman holding the infant and the toddler were Izuna's wife and kids from the close proximity. 

The odd one out was the blond man and the children that had his features, the only three Namikazes listed in the photo. _Namikaze Junichi, I wonder if Shisui-kun wanted me to see this just to show I'm a part of the clan because we look alike_. Honestly, Minato couldn't be sure, but he assumed that's what the journal was for. Giving him the insight he wanted.

Setting the photo back inside the journal, Minato put the book inside the nightstand before sitting on the floor. One final thing to do, and with how much the mental block was shaken today, maybe something could be shaken _loose._

So breath in, breath out-Minato repeated it to himself as he tried to block out all sounds around him. He hoped he could control his emotions enough to not send Kira running for him if this went south.

Minato thought over what happened during the day, and honed in on the important pieces that resonated within him. The salt circling Sen, Mikoto's Sharingan, and the picture from the journal. He kept those three things in his mind, for they agitated the memory block, and he would not throw himself at it.

No, this time he needed to ease in. Be deductive; those three things gave him a start for a reason, and he carefully began to try and put a context to each. Salt around Sen meant keeping a half-demon at bay, a Sharingan meant Uchiha (with one exception), but the picture was the odd one out. Nothing but an old photo of his possible ancestor and-

_It hurt, his groin hurt so much-no, need to stay calm, have to stay calm. He told himself it over and over, but his bleary eyes could only see so much in the dim lighting. A little figure sat curled in a circle of salt, head buried in his knees, small shoulders shaking-Kira, oh, Kira._

_Pain took his attention again, his pants already sticky from the sweat. He gasped, back arching as his groin ached, contractions hitting him hard as he realized-no, knew-that his baby boy wanted to come out._

_He couldn't, not here, not when there was so many things that could happen. His fingers dug through something soft-a mat?-into the hard wood beneath, his nails scraping as loudly as the cry he uttered from another bout of pain flaring in him._

_Somewhere in the background, a voice muttered darkly, **"Madara's not going to be happy if he dies."** As if in reply, another voice said, "Yes, should have taken him after this was over."_

_Everything fell silent as something slid open-a door?-and Minato flinched in surprise as a hand cradled his cheek, turning up his face as Minato stared through bleary eyes at the figure looming over him, a bright red light the only thing he could see. It looked like-_

_"Are you ready to stop resisting what your body wants, Minato-kun?"_

_-the Sharingan._

Minato's eyes flew open, a roar resounding deep inside of him, rattling him to the bone. Kyuubi's fury was palpable behind the seal keeping it back, but apparently its hatred for the Uchiha was stronger in that moment and it had Minato shaking.

Or was it because as the truth settled over him, the blond couldn't stop the hurt and betrayal deep inside. Could...could it actually be true? Had an Uchiha orchestrated this whole plot? Did they threaten his family, take away his wife- _and for what?_

What did they want? Minato ran his hands through his hair, another thought unsettling him further. Had he already met them? Were they watching, thinking they'd gotten away with it? There had been other voices, accomplices? Minato didn't want to buy into what the villagers thought, what almost everyone thought...but right now...

Minato shook his head, a fierce look growing in his eyes. _No, if an Uchiha is responsible, then they will be punished. I will not punish the rest for it_. They were family after all.

Something though did confuse him about the precious few moments he'd gotten behind the memory block. Uchiha Madara is supposed to be dead, why would he be talked about like he was still alive? _None of this makes any sense._

Slowly, Minato got up and narrowed his eyes. _Then I guess I'll just have to unravel it, and make everything fit._


	9. Piece By Piece

Kira would never claim to be the most observational person, but there seemed to be a _shift_ of some kind when he was at the Academy the next day. His classmates still ignored him, but during morning lessons he saw the students staring at Itachi, some even blushing, which _really_ confused Kira. It wasn't until recess when Kira decided to bring it up, with the two of them sitting under what Kira silently dubbed 'their tree' due to how his presence seemed to taint it by association. 

Apparently the same no longer applied to Itachi. 

"Did I miss something, or are our classmates acting odd?" Kira questioned.

"You'll have to be more specific." Itachi said flatly.

"Right; I meant odd as in they seem to be acting more...well, _nicer_ to you?" Kira replied.

Itachi closed his eyes, and the sigh he let out could almost be called long-suffering before explaining in a matter-of-factly way, "Yesterday, during afternoon break I was harassed by a few of our classmates for my more advanced ninja skills, and when they were about to attack me, I sent them running by flicking pebbles at them."

Kira blinked. "Huh," his lips twisted in guilt, "now I feel really bad about not being here." he glanced up, seeing students still looking at Itachi with awe or admiration. "Though it seems it got you on their good side."

"I proved I was stronger than them, now they fear me and know better than to try anything again." Itachi said solemnly.

Kira raised a brow. _This is what fear looks like?_ "I'm tempted to ask if you made another joke, but it wouldn't be funny even if it were." he said, and frowned as he leaned against the tree. "You can do that and be respected, I did that and everyone still hates me."

"They're fickle, sheep-like in obeying everything they're told." Itachi said bluntly. "To them you're a demon, and when you act out it only validates what they know."

"Well I knew _that_ ," Kira replied hotly, "but it's not like I want them to like me, just not bully me." he picked at a strand of grass next to him. "If I do nothing, I'll just be a bigger target, but if I fight back, it makes them think they're right. And I'm not like you, I can't just show them I'm stronger because that will only scare them more."

"You can quit." Itachi retorted, and Kira whipped his head around to glare at him, but the younger boy showed no signs of caring about it. "When I become powerful enough, I will make sure no one will fight anymore, and I can protect you better."

Kira's anger simmered until it faded, replaced with an acute embarrassment. "You don't have to take Otou-san's "mission" so seriously."

Itachi stared at him. "I have to, since you aren't good at protecting yourself, and neither is anyone else. Both Minato-sama and Shisui-kun are competant, and even they failed."

Kira huffed, because he knew if it weren't Itachi just being painfully truthful, he'd have been more offended. "Speaking of Shisui-san," Perhaps not the best segue, but it got the point across, "do you think he can make chuunin?"

"If he doesn't I'm not sure why I look up to him." Itachi said dryly, but Kira only narrowed his eyes. "...that was a joke."

"You need to work on that." Kira replied. "I think he can do it, he's worked hard to get this strong, why wouldn't he go for it?"

"Perhaps if you won't take my advice, you should take your own." Itachi retorted. "Try to earn our classmates respect, that way you won't have as many enemies."

Kira frowned. "That makes sense, but how am I supposed to pull it off? I'm not exactly the friendliest person around."

"You're asking me?" Itachi raised a brow.

"Point." Kira nodded, and he mulled over in his head about the ways he could get his classmates, not to like him (because he still didn't care about that), but to respect him.

Somehow, the former seemed less impossible.

\------------

Minato wasn't surprised that there would be paperwork left, but he was pleased to find there was only one small stack remaining. It would leave him some time to go over in his head what he needed to do still. One, round two with Sen (or was it round 3?). And two, try to get to the bottom of his rather incriminating memory. There were other little things that he could do, but those two stood at the forefront of his mind just for how important they were.

It also didn't help that the information his memory supplied made no sense. Why would an Uchiha want to attack the village if their own clan would get hurt? Kyuubi might not have gotten that far when it was out and rampaging, but given how it reacted to even the memory of seeing a Sharingan, Minato didn't doubt it would have gone after them. 

And that wasn't even taking into account the supposed 'Madara' from his memory. Minato decided to think more logically on that subject, then to just discard it out of hand due to sheer impossibility. _Impossible things seem to be happening more often than not anyway_. Though if this was true, it wouldn't bode well for anyone. _Just another thing to add to the 'information I need to get' list_.

Minato might have been lost in his thoughts, especially as he got to work on the stack of papers left, but he did not miss the sound of the window opening or register the chakra signature. "I'd say there was a door, but I'd be wasting my breath, wouldn't I?"

"Got it in one." The white-haired man replied. 

Minato gave a brief sigh, but glanced over at Jiraiya to show he was paying attention. "You didn't send a message this time, has something happened?"

Jiraiya's face was unusually serious. "I've been doing some digging about your friend in the basement."

Minato stiffened, and he set aside the sheet he was currently looking over. "ANBU, except for Inu, are to leave your posts." he said firmly, and waited until the signatures of the hidden ninja faded except for one before activating the silencing seal. "What did you find out about Sen?"

"He's not actually a shinobi, for one." Jiraiya explained, and Minato didn't know whether to be surprised or not. It settled some things, but only raised other questions. "And no matter what the opinion on Kumo is, they did a damn good job of keeping Sen a secret for all these years."

"I bet." Minato muttered. Though if Kumo sent out Killer B to fight in the third shinobi war, why wouldn't they have sent Sen out too? It wasn't like Kira being an infant, and even if he wasn't Kushina nor Minato would have allowed him to fight, but Sen looked old enough to have fought in the war. Was it really about keeping their cards close to the chest? "Did you find out how...well, he exists?" his cheeks flushed, awkwardly skirting around the actual phrase.

The Sannin smirked at his student's modesty, but they both knew now was not the time to tease him about it. "My contact couldn't ask too much without being suspicous, but what they did get is really gonna make your head spin-Sen's mother was the previous Nibi Jinchuuriki."

Minato stared at him, blinking as his jaw slackened. "That..." he clenched his jaw to get it working again, "how is that possible?"

Jiraiya raised a brow. "How is Kira possible?"

Minato flushed. The Seahorse Seal that was placed on Sachiko not only strengthed her body to get through the pregnancy, but also boosted her chakra so it could intake from chakra expelled during...intimacy from the chosen partner. And because Sachiko wanted to make Kushina happy by giving her a child, Minato respected her decision and let the two of them have their alone time while they'd been trying. _Is it the same with Sen? Did the Nibi try to overwrite his sire's DNA with its own like Kyuubi tried with Kira?_

Although, given the dangers present with a bijuu escaping during childbirth, Minato wasn't going to discount the idea Sen's creation hadn't been a deliberate attempt to _make_ a half-demon. 

"Sen said he wouldn't be Kumo's weapon." Minato said quietly, the words taking on a new meaning with this informaton. Kira wasn't an accident, because it was always a general rule of thumb that when someone put on the Seahorse Seal, they intended to have a child. No, the mistake had been not catching what Kyuubi was doing in time to stop what he'd done to Kira. 

For a moment, Minato experienced genuine sympathy for Sen. Kyuubi had been able to mess with Kira's DNA from second-hand contact, so there was no way the Nibi _hadn't_ likely got free reign to change Sen's DNA with his mother as its Jinchuuriki.

_Still, that doesn't excuse what Sen did; he not only came to take my child from me, but was going to kill him if it came down to it._ Minat couldn't get the image of Sen's claws levelled at Kira's chest out of his head no matter how hard he tried. "And I suppose you couldn't get anything more than that."

"On Sen, no, but my contact is going to keep at it." Jiraiya replied. "Though there is something else, just a rumor that's been floating around on the other side of the country, but I thought you needed to hear it."

"What?" Minato asked, annoyance flaring for his Sensei dragging it out for dramatics.

"No one could get anything about a name, just that there's a group apparently interested in the bijuu." Jiraiya replied. Minato stiffened, his expression growing serious. "I know you've probably got your reasons for putting it off, but as far as the world's concerned only Kira's the-"

"No." Minato said firmly. His eyes narrowed. "If you're suggesting Kira start trying to use the Kyuubi's chakra so soon, absolutely not."

"It'll be almost a year, and if Kira goes out of the village it won't reach as far to feel it here." Jiraiya pointed out, but Minato glowered at him. The white-haired man didn't back down though. "You _both_ need to learn to handle the Kyuubi, and clearly since you don't trust me to keep an eye on your kid, what's stopping you from coming with us?"

Minato grimaced. _That was a cheap shot_. "I can't just up and leave the village for who-knows-how-long for something we don't even know will work."

"I'm not suggesting you go out and master Kyuubi's chakra overnight," Jiraiya retorted, "just draw on it and channel it enough so you don't accidently freak out and terrify everyone- _again_."

Minato sighed heavily. "You just had to bring that up." he muttered. It still alluded both he and Jiraiya on how easily Minato accessed Kyuubi's chakra in his fight with Sen, given when Kira got mad or upset he didn't draw on the bijuu's power. Kushina might have been in a hurry before she died, but the modified seals were meant to hold up, and Minato's hadn't deteriorated after his unintended use. 

_Kushina-chan said that Kyuubi's chakra could only be really handled by an Uzumaki, is that why I only got half?_ Was there something more to it? The ache in his chest that came with thinking of Kushina might have lessened, but only because he did everything in his power to bury the grief.

He hoped it wouldn't come back to bite him in the ass like everything else seemed too.

"Give me some time to get everything in order." Minato said, reluctantly giving in. Much as it pained him to admit, he did know that promising to never use Kyuubi's chakra wasn't going to be possible if he could call it unintentionally. At least if he knew how to regulate it, then he and Kira could have better chakra control. "If that's all though, I need to get back to my paperwork."

Jiraiya eyed the stack with a snort. "If seems like you're managing to actually beat the eternal enemy of Kage everywhere."

Minato smirked. "Really? That joke's older than you are."

The white-haired man scowled at him. "When did you get to be so disrespectful?"

Minato rolled his eyes, but smiled lightly. "It's only because I know you so well, just like I know that once you leave you're going to do more of your 'research'." his huff was made in less than good humor, which his Sensei immediately picked up on.

"I'll have you know that research is what's gonna get my next book published." he retorted.

When in an instant Kakashi slipped out of the shadows to land beside the older man, neither Jiraiya nor Minato blinked. "And when would that be?"

The Sannin chuckled. "See? Your student appreciates my work." he then shook his head in disappointment. "It's like having good taste skipped my team."

Minato grimaced. Oh, he remembered quite well how his student's fascination with Icha Icha Paradise started. _I shouldn't have left it lying around_. Though in his defense he'd been a bit stunned when Kushina had not only bought a copy of the book, but actually read it and thought _he'd_ like it too, that Minato stuttered out an excuse about 'reading it later'. 

Later never came though, as while Minato had been at the Hokage Office with Kira, his student stopped by the house and found the orange book. And as they say, the rest was history.

\--------

It was only when he neared the end of the paper pile did Minato realize just how far back these stacks were. Which put off his 'job well done, now I've defeated paperwork' because when the papers stopped being adressed to the Yondaime and were instead supposed to be meant for the Sandaime, Minato knew he needed to fact check if these forms were necessary anymore. 

At least these papers weren't so old they went all the way back to the Shodai.

Organizing the leftover papers into file folders depending on what district they occupied or a profession that got mentioned more than once, Minato began with the highest stack-the ones pertaining to the hospital-and scooped them into his arms, placing the rest into a storage seal and slipped it into his pocket. Most were just release forms to hand bodies over to the funeral home, or new equipment for certain wings. 

Minato wasn't going to bedgrudge the hospital if they went ahead and let grieving families have their loved ones back, nor if the hospital sought out the means to replace equipment instead of wait for approval. Though in his own opinion, better security could be implemented.

The blond barely made it three steps out of his office before a fifteen-year-old with with brown hair and dark eyes appeared in front of him, expression stern but something nervous underneath. "Iwashi-kun, shouldn't you be patrolling the halls?"

Iwashi narrowed his eyes. "Hokage-sama, it is the role of your elite bodyguards to protect you from harm. You coud have endangered yourself with leaving yesterday unescorted." his eyes lowered. "Sir."

Minato sighed. Raidou and Genma had understood a bit better that they only needed to be his bodyguards for when he was called _outside_ of the village, while inside they just patrolled the building for any threats-they were essentially security guards. _Though I suppose I can't fault him-even I took things way too seriously when I was younger_. He grimaced. He was twenty-five now, that didn't make him old. _Or at least in this time period it doesn't._

"You know what? Fine, tag along if you want." Minato relented. "Just don't complain about being bored." he added, and the two of them continued out of the building.

When the two of them arrived at the hospital, Minato slowly nagivated his way through the list of forms, being more than a little embarrassed that his only answer for why it took so long being 'it's paperwork, it multiples.' The last several forms were for releasing bodies, but as he went through the files with the coroner (leaving Iwashi out in the hall, something the teenager was none too happy about), he stopped as he stared at the names on a particular form.

"Can you bring out the file on Noharas Kazuo and Etsuko? The form is dated on January 10, five years ago." Minato grimaced. _That would have only been three months after Sachiko died_. The blond wouldn't claim to have been close with Sachiko's parents, but he could remember them being polite enough when stopping by their house, even if her father ran the orphanage before he retired.

He also knew they died during a month long recovery mission the Sandaime sent him on during the war when, well, it wasn't a time he liked to think about. The only thing he could recall from that time was when he and Kushina came back to find Rin had been broken up about her grandparents' death. For two days she refused to let a rambunctious two-year-old Kira out of her sight, as though terrified she'd lose him too and hugging him every time he called for his 'Chichi' but rejected Kushina when she tried to hold him. 

He unfortunately remembered Kushina's hurt expressions every time it happened too.

Oblivious to Minato's inner turmoil, the coroner furrowed their brow, but nodded and skimmed through an older cabinet. Pulling out a file, they scaned the words with a hum. "It says here Sandaime-sama forewent the official channels and told the funeral staff to bury them." Their brow creased further as they pulled a single sheet out of the file and turned it over. "There's nothing else, usually these old folders are full of files."

Minato frowned. "Could they simply have been scanned on the terminals?" He knew computers were a newer thing, but once they were implemented in business districts and hospitals, the streets had been pratically brimming with shredded files after they had been converted into digital documents.

"Let me have a look." The coroner replied, logging onto the terminal on the desk, entered their password and typed in the information. A large red sign blinked on screen, the words 'restricted' flashing. "It says that I don't have authorization to read these files. It's classified under an S-rank; I'm sorry but I can't look any further."

Minato frowned at the screen, his mind going through what he'd been told. What was going on? Why would such security measures be in place for an elderly couple? The blond bit his lip. _Something's not adding up-Sarutobi-sama wouldn't do this for no reason, what happened while Kushina and I were gone?_

His eyes were drawn to the digital clock in the corner of the screen. It was nearing the time to pick Kira up. _Just one more thing to add to the list._

\------

Kira frowned as he wiped his brow. The weather was growing warmer outside, and he began to sweat. It didn't help that his mind was at a blank for how to get in touch with his classmates. He hefted his bag over his shoulder, his eyes glancing over at the administration building before looking at Itachi. "I'm going to ask Otou-san for some money to buy hiyashiame, do you want one?"

"No." Itachi replied, but a bead of sweat formed on his brow and he frowned as he wiped it off. "Yes."

Kira nodded, and broke into a jog over to the other side of the building. Students coming out for lunch avoided him, and he did his best to avert his gaze from the staff inside the building. For the most part they seemed content to ignore him, thankfully. The real obstacle was the receptionist at the desk. He squared his shoulders, and marched up determinedly.

Yuriko noticed him, and her eyes narrowed. "What do _you_ want?"

"I'm here to see my otou-san." Kira replied. 

She sneered down her nose at him. "Well you can't, Hokage-sama's busy-probably doesn't want to see you anyway."

Kira gritted his teeth, but bit back a growl. "What's he doing?"

Yuriko stiffened. "He's busy."

"Is he even here?"

"...no." she said the word grudgingly.

"Do you know where he is?"

"Yes."

"...will you tell me?" Kira frowned when the woman glared at him. Guess he got his answer. 

Before he could leave, another voice drawled, "What's going on over here?"

Kira furrowed his brow as what looked like an older teenager came walking over, shoulder length brown hair held back by his hitai-ate worn like a bandana. Kira's noticed the senbon between his teeth and realized where he'd seen him. "You're one of Otou-san's guards or something, right? The senbon guy."

The teenager raised a brow. "Senbon guy?"

Yuriko made a smothered noise as she scowled down at Kira. "Look here you disrespectful brat-!"

"Hey, no need to start something you can't afford to finish." The teenager said casually, but Kira saw how Yuriko frowned as she glowered at the desk, casting one last scathing glare at the boy before pointedly ignoring them both. "Kid," Kira blinked at the teenager, "is 'senbon guy' really the best you could come up with?"

Kira's cheeks puffed out. "Well I don't know your names." he muttered. "You've just been Senbon, Moody, and New Kid." The last one irked him, since Kakashi was the only older kid he let boss him around. Well, he _used_ to be.

The teenager snorted. "And here I can't tell why everyone says you're a hellion."

Kira frowned. "Are you making a joke or not?" The casual tone threw him off, it always had. "Anyway," he shook his head and moved on, since that was the best route he learned to go with, "do you know where my otou-san is?"

"Hmm? He's at the hospital," the teenager shrugged nonchalantly, "or he's at the business district now-Hokage-sama's checking over paperwork forms or something. Why'd you need to see him?"

"It's hot out, I wanted ryo for hiyashiame for Itachi-san and I." Kira kept his voice even, because as he said it, the fact it sounded silly washed over him. 

All he got was an equally even stare, and the teenager gnawed on the senbon. "Fine, come on."

Kira blinked as the older teen didn't wait for him, and the brunet was left baffled as he was led to a vending machine down the hall. "What are you doing?"

There was no reply at first, as the teenager put two ryo coins into the slot on the machine, and pushed a rectangular button twice. The machine started up, and two cans dropped into the box behind the plastic flap. "I just took out the middle man, you're welcome." Kira stared at him blankly, and he got a raised brow. "This is where you say thank you."

Kira blinked, glancing between the teenager and the two cans. His eyes narrowed supiciously. "What do you want?"

The older teen raised a brow again, but then shrugged. He seemed to like doing that. "I am hungry, got any food?"

"Food?" Kira repeated, his hands clasping the latch on his bag. "Well, I guess it's okay." he relented warily, and fished out his bento and opened it, revealing five cabage rolls to one side and yakimeshi made of ground beef, carrots and egg seasoned with his salt substitute. "You can have two rolls-fair trade."

The teenager picked up two of the rolls, and after chewing on the first one, he gave the brunet a considering glance. "Cabbages aren't really my thing, but it's not bad-you make it?"

"I had help." Kira replied, and grabbed the two cans, cooling his hands before setting them beside the bento in his satchel. He realized how rude he was being, and he scolded himself for not sticking to his new policy. "I'm sorry, but I don't know what your name is."

"It's Genma," the older teen said, and made a 'shoo-ing' gesture, "now scram. Your friend's probably sweating bullets by now."

Kira was about to retort 'we're not friends' but the older teen was already walking away. The brunet huffed, but his stomach growled and he flushed. Right, can't waste lunch. Kira quickly sprinted back through the building, but when he reached the schoolyard he stopped cold. He blinked rapidly, but no, he wasn't hallucinating. 

Itachi was sitting under their tree, but the surprising part was someone else was sitting there. A girl with long brown hair framing her face with dark eyes and a mole under her right eye. Her expression was tired, but Kira still approached warily. 

Itachi noticed him first. "Kira-sama." he said, and the girl jumped, her eyes widening when she saw the older brunet.

Kira made sure to stand on Itachi's other side as he reached into his satchel and handed him one of the hiyashiame, only for the younger boy to immediately open it and manually had the girl grasp the can, causing her to blush. "What happened?"

Itachi's gaze lingered on the girl sternly. "Drink this, you need the energy." he said curtly, before letting go and turning to Kira. "After you left, older students came over and started to pick on me. Izumi-san showed up and scared them away." he explained bluntly.

Kira assumed that was the girl's name, but he sighed in frustration. "They picked on you _again?_ How, I was only gone for ten minutes."

"Twenty." Itachi corrected him. "But as you can see, I'm fine."

"I guess so," Kira said wearily, and sat down before pulling his bento back out and the second can. He opened the box and presented the side with the cabbage rolls. "Sorry about the missing two-needed them to pay for the drinks." Itachi furrowed his brow. "Don't ask, long story."

"Very well." Itachi replied, and picked up the remaining three rolls. "I would offer you some of my yakisoba, but I'm unsure if it's on your 'do not eat without special preparation' list."

Kira grimaced, and wiped his hands on his pants reflexively. "It is...did you already touch your food?"

"No, and I will eat on the other side of the tree so you don't smell it." Itachi said, but Kira quickly shoved the can of hiyashiame onto his bento, and the younger boy frowned.

Kira held firm. "You need it more than I do, and besides, my instructor will likely get on my case for drinking it." He wasn't quite sure about that part, but it seemed like a safer bet that if he showed up with a drink, it'd have to be water. "Take it, I'll be fine."

Itachi frowned at him, but didn't say anything more as he walked onto the other side of Izumi. Kira's gaze followed the younger boy, and because of line of sight, his eyes landed on the younger girl, who immediately tensed.

Like a spring, she jumped to her feet and bowed to Itachi. "Thank you for the drink, Itachi-kun!" she rushed out, and made a break for the building.

Kira blinked. "What was that about?"

"She's scared of you." Itachi said bluntly.

The brunet's eye twitched. "I've never even met her before." he paused, but realized that hadn't stopped anyone _else_ from being frightened of him-though in most cases fear was masked with anger. "Wait, nevermind." he added, and picked up his chopsticks inside the bento. "Itadakimasu." he heard it echo from the other side of the tree, and he began scooping up bits of his meal.

A shout drew his attention, and saw several boys beginning to walk over. "Itachi-shishou! Wanna have lunch with us-" The call was abruptly cut off when they spotted Kira, and the speaker stammered out, "M-maybe l-later!" and the small group took off.

_More scared kids_ , Kira thought, and couldn't believe this was the only way he got to call the younger students 'kids'. "What's with the 'shishou' thing?"

"Don't ask." Itachi retorted, and Kira snorted. 

Time seemed to tick by slowly, and Kira sniffled as even with the distance his nose itched from the smell. Thankfully the salt in Itachi's meal was watered down and it was only irritating than searing. Though when Kira finished his lunch, he did end up holding his sleeve over his nose. 

And when Kira caught sight of the yellow-haired man walking through the archway, the brunet jumped up and shouldered his satchel. "See you, Itachi-san." he called behind him, but when furrowed his brow not only when he realized Minato came from the wrong way, but the older kid with spiky brown hair he'd dubbed 'New Kid' was following after him. _Wait, Genma-san said Otou-san was out in the village_. "Hey, N-you," Kira stopped himself from calling the older boy the rather rude nickname, "what's your name?"

The older boy gave him a narrowed-eyed stare, but glanced at Minato before pressing his lips into a thin line. "Iwashi."

Kira nodded, but wondered if he gave the 'Moody' moniker to the wrong person. He looked up at Minato, and frowned as he saw that the blond lacked the gooey-eyed starstruck gleam in his eyes when he looked at Kira. Instead he appeared troubled, like he had the morning he explained about Yoshi being his instructor. "Is something wrong?"

Minato blinked, but didn't answer right away as he picked Kira up. "Nothing you need to worry about, just Hokage business." he explained, but the edges of his smile were strained. "Although, while that doesn't concern you, there is something which does." 

Kira tilted his head. "What is it?"

Minato swallowed thickly, his smile turning into a grimace, but it faded like he gave up half-way through. "For...a little while," he paused momentarily, "Jiraiya-sensei is going to take you out of the village to help you get started with _you know._ "

Kira bit his lip. Yeah, he did know. _Kyuubi's chakra_. "I thought you were going to help me?"

"I am, but he's just going to monitor you when you draw it's chakra." Minato replied, his expression pained. "Believe me, I'd go with you if I could, but..."

"The village comes first." Kira said, and buried his disappointment. "I understand." He honestly didn't, but he was trying too, though it certainly wasn't easy given his shoddy treatment. "But what about, well, everything else?"

"Leave it to me." Minato assured him. "I'll tell your sensei, the Academy, and this way," his voice lowered so only Kira could hear, "you get a couple days where you don't feel stressed."

Kira bit his lip, but inside he wondered why Minato wasn't taking his own advice. Then again, it's not like he could just up and leave the village for a vacation like they used too. "Okay."

When they arrived at the training ground, Minato placed him on the ground and ruffled his hair. "I'll see you later."

Kira nodded, and glanced over at Yoshi, her posture so straight and composed he wondered if she even went home yesterday. _She's sure taking this job seriously_. "Good afternoon, Sensei."

Yoshi only nodded curtly back at him. "Did you finish your assignment?"

The brunet pulled out a scroll from his satchel. "Yes. Am I going to be learning from it first today?"

"No." Yoshi said curtly, and swiped the scroll out of his hands. "I will look through it for a suitable kata you can do, and for the time being practice your kunai aim-you have the most trouble with that right now."

Kira's shoulders slumped, but she wasn't telling him anything he didn't know. He nodded, and once he received the box of kunai, began to take careful aim at the target carved into the post.

He threw, but the sharp edge bounched off and sunk into the ground instead. Kira glanced at Yoshi, and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Again, and keep going until holding that kunai is as simple as breathing. A weapon does not control you, you control it."

Kira nodded, and grabbed another kunai.

\------

Though Minato was aware he had several things on his mind, there was a bit of pride in knowing the last of his paperwork was finished. _Now I just need to file these and victory is mine!_ He internally cheered, but his mood took a turn for the surprised when he entered the administration building. 

"Hokage-sama," Genma said approaching him, and inclined his head to the younger teen beside him, "Iwashi-kun."

"Is there something wrong?" Minato asked. 

"Maybe your kid hasn't told you for whatever reason, but you should know that your secretary doesn't treat him right-saw her stone wall him and even tried to yell at him." Genma explained casually, but there was a steely look in his eyes. 

Minato found himself feeling the same. Why hadn't Kira told him? _Then again, it's not like he told me about Takahashi until Shisui-kun got him to_. Anger simmered, but so did unease; did Kira think the blond couldn't help him, or that he wanted to handle it by himself? "Thank you for informing me, I'll handle it."

Genma nodded, and continued on his way.

Iwashi glanced up at him. "What are you going to do, Hokage-sama?"

"I'm going to get to the bottom of this of course." Minato answered calmly, but inside the simmer turned searing the closer he go to his office. Yuriko smiled brightly when she spotted him, and he berated himself for not seeing how she treated his son. "Iwashi-kun, go do a few rounds on this floor; if you insist on following me around the village for the rest of the day, we'll be leaving in a little while."

Iwashi's lips pressed into a thin line, but he nodded and reluctantly left. He glanced back when he reached the end of the hall, as though making sure Minato hadn't taken off like yesterday.

The blond focused back on Yuriko, and took note of the stack of files on her desk. What was left of his previous good mood dropped entirely. "More paperwork?"

Yuriko's smile became apologetic. "Yes, it arrived while you were out."

And there was his opening. "Oh?" Minato feigned interest. "I hope no one stopped by to see me while I was out."

Yuriko's expression never changed. "No, no one came by."

_She lied right to my face_. Minato kept his pleasant smile. "Is that so? That's funny, because I heard something different." his eyes hardened, and he leaned forward, his lips curling into a wider smile that looked more like a snarl, but his voice never rose beyond a soft whisper. "And please understand that if you lie to me again or mistreat my son, then I will have you demoted back to genin and sent to the farthest, most isolated outpost I can find-have I made myself clear?"

Yuriko paled, her lips pressed tight but even in trying to keep composure her eyes widened in fear. Mutely, she nodded and sat back in her seat. 

Minato's snarl lifted back into an easy-going smile, picking up the stack of papers himself. "I'm glad we've reached an understanding. Have a pleasant day." he said, but glowered to himself once he was in the office. _You can't keep sending shinobi to prison, the Sandaime said. You can't keep having people executed, he added_ , Minato gripped to himself.

The blond understood his predecessor was right in pointing out that Minato could not afford a _reputation_ in having the villagers or shinobi that harmed Kira killed or sent to prison-it would only make the rumor that Kira was 'possessing' him validated. So he'd spent what precious time he had not spent with his beloved children or doing his Hokage duties coming up with suitable punishments.

Shinobi were relatively easy to deal with; they were warned and demoted, and if they persisted in harming Kira they would be sent to the correctional facility. Takahashi had tried to murder his son, so execution in that case _was_ warranted. Unfortunately it also meant he couldn't actually send Yuriko out to an outpost, due to her 'sabatoge' with Kira being little more than turning him away. The council would be on his case, and he didn't need the extra baggage.

The fact they were likely going to flip once they learned he was letting Kira go with Jiraiya out of the village would be enough of a headache. That wasn't even counting the _other_ stuff about Sen and the Uchihas he needed to still go through.

Civilians were harder to punish, simply because there were so many and Kira likely wouldn't tell him without prompt on who tried to hurt him. A rush of despair filled Minato. _I need to make him understand it's okay to tell me things_.

Minato sighed, and placed the stack on his desk before filing away the paperwork he'd finished, before placing his fingers into a familar handseal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" To his irritation, three clones of himself appeared. _It's just like before, too much chakra-damn you, Kyuubi_. "I only need one, the other two can disperse." he waved his hand, and obligingly two went up in smoke, and he pointed at the stack. "Have fun."

His duplicate scowled at him, but Minato only gave a cheeky wave before leaving to find Iwashi. Then it was time to start getting some answers from the Sandaime.

\-------

Kira wasn't sure what happened, but one moment he was aiming for the post, kunai at the ready-and then everything started going blurry. He squinted, the ground around him distorting as the posts in front of him blurred, like they were being stretched by a film. His body felt stiff, a deep dread rising in the pit of his stomach as his breathing picked up. He couldn't move-his head pounded, hurting the space behind his eyes, but he found he couldn't even close them. 

The ground began to move under him, and he felt a terror rising along the dread, his headache growing fiercer as in the back of his mind he heard someone screaming-

- _he couldn't do anything. Minato's screams shook him to the core, and Kira dug his fingers tightly onto his pants. He wanted to run to the man's side, but the circle of salt surrounding him put a stop to that. He couldn't jump it, it was both too close and spread out._

_Kira could do nothing but watch with a burning nose and watering eyes as the dim lighting of the room did nothing to relieve him of what was happeninge_. If I wasn't weak, I wouldn't have been captured. If I hid, this wouldn't be happening. If I was smart-

_Minato screamed again, and Kira curled tighter in on himself. His terrified orange eyes focused on the blond's fingers clawing at the mat under him, and he desperately tried to ignore the blood that seeped from beneath him, which flowed freely with his pants and underwear lying discarded next to the shattered remains of their kidnapper's white mask._

_Minato was being braver; when their kidnapper tried to take the blond's pants off, Minato kicked him hard enough to dislodge the mask. When it cracked against the ground, it had been a loud sound from how silent everything seemed as they took in the revealed face._

_Kira hadn't been able to bring himself to look at their kidnapper after that, but when Minato wasn't screaming or trying to control his breathing, the blond still found it in him to glare at the unmasked figure sitting between his legs like some deranged midwife._

_Minato gasped abruptly, his eyes widening as his body tensed._

_Their kidnapper grabbed the blond's shins, gripping them tight. "Don't freeze up now, it's started crowning." Kira flinched at how his baby brother was referred too. "Time to start pushing, Minato-kun."_

_Minato's face scrunched in pain, flushed with anger as his teeth were gritted in a snarl. "You don't get to call me thaaaat-!"_

_Kira clapped his hands over his ears, but it didn't do any good. He still heard the screaming-so much screaming-and blood-and-_

"-kai! Kai!"

Kira found himself abruptly on his knees, the world spinning as the headache began to fade. The brief images he'd seen behind the mental block went up in smoke, and he wondered if this was how Minato felt being so close to the truth but never getting it. His stomach rolled, and his mouth watered-it was the only warning he got before his stomach heaved and Kira found himself greeting his lunch.

"It's okay, you're safe now, obocchama." The same voiced that had shouted before whispered to him, and Kira dimly realized it was Tori speaking to him. "Just breath."

The brunet sucked in a gulp of air, and he closed his eyes as he could feel the tears that were streaming down his face. His breath hitched as a rush of _worry/anger_ fell over him, and he wiped his tears, the shame he felt his own. _I'm going to be a ninja, I should control myself better_.

"What happened?" Minato demanded, and Kira saw his gaze flitted between Tori and Yoshi. 

Yoshi stepped forward, arms folded behind her back, head lowered respectfully. "I take full responsibility for this, Hokage-sama. While Uzumaki-san was doing his kunai practice, I employed a simple hazy genjutsu on him to test his abilities to recognize being in one. I did not know he would have such an adverse reaction until ANBU-san dispelled it."

Minato's eyes narrowed, even as he knelt beside Kira and rubbed a hand gently on his back. "You used a genjutsu on my son without telling him?"

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama, an enemy wouldn't tell him." Yoshi replied calmly. "And as I have stated, I am wholly responsible for this gross miscalculation. I will rectify such in the future, should you keep me as Uzumaki-san's Sensei."

Minato tensed up, his lip starting to curl. "You think after this I'm gonna-"

"Otou-san," Kira said weakly, his voice hoarse and the sour taste in his mouth had him grimacing, "it's okay. I-I can still do this. Sensei is right."

The blond stared at him, his expression unreadable. Slowly, he exhaled and reached out to pull Kira's goggles down to his neck. Minato wiped the sweat on the boy's brow, and traced a thumb over one cheek, Kira shivering as the whisker marks had always been senstive. "You know, you don't have to prove anything, right?"

Kira's eyes widened, but he bit his lip. "I know, but I want to do this." _I want to be strong enough to protect you and Naruto_.

Minato's lips pulled into a frown, but then to a thin line as he closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, there was a reluctant acceptance. "Okay." he tried to smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. 

Kira could accept that though, and he tugged his goggles back to his hairline. "I need to get back to training."

The blond nodded as he lifted Kira to his feet. He glanced at Tori. "Good work," he said, but his tone hardened, "though next time react quicker." Tori nodded silently before going back to his post. Minato's gaze was icy as he settled it on Yoshi. "Though if there _is_ a next time, these lessons are over-understood?"

Yoshi, to her credit, didn't look cowed. "Of course, Hokage-sama."

Minato nodded curtly, and in a blink of an eye, he was gone. Kira breathed in deep, and looked over at Yoshi, who only raised a brow.

"Would you like to take a break?"

Kira bit the inside of his cheek. The words were so...flat, but it had been ingrained by now to suspect he was being mocked with that tone. "I just took one," he said firmly, eyes narrowed, "what are we doing next?"

"Given the circumstances, I will postpone your genjutsu training for now." Yoshi explained, and Kira nodded. "You will work on a tessenjutsu kata, and work on the leaf excercise before I show you how to perform the tree climbing excercise."

Kira's eyes lit up. Shisui hadn't been able to demonstrate the tree climbing technique before he left, but maybe he could impress him by showing he could do it without his help after all. _Wait_ , Kira frowned, _why does it matter if I want to impress him? It doesn't-if I want to impress someone it should be Otou-san_.

When Yoshi handed him the paper tessen, Kira shooed away his thoughts. _Focus on your training_.

\------

Minato thought it was ridiculous, that when he arrived at the Hokage Mansion and asked one of the genin there cleaning where 'Sarutobi-sama' was, he was directed to the sitting room-only to find it was _Biwako_. She raised a brow at his presence, calmly setting down her teacup and Minato flushed in embarassement as he looked at all the gathered women on the couches. "Sorry to disturb you, I was looking for Sandaime-sama."

"Ah, it figures." Biwako replied. She gestured to the women in the room. "Since it would seem no one here thought to invite the newest member of the Allied Mother's Force." Her eyes hardened, and only Tsume didn't cow under the glare.

Minato though flushed. He knew the Force included all shinobi mothers, but it slipped his mind with Kira calling him 'Otou-san' that he was still Naruto's. "I wasn't aware that included me."

"Of course it does." Biwako said curtly. She took a sip from her teacup. "Though perhaps you will join us for our next meeting; Hiruzen is in his study right now."

Minato nodded. "Thank you." he turned to leave, though faltered when Tsume called out "Why don't you bring your new pup to my house, he and Kiba can roughouse together". The blond smiled, strained at the edges. "I'll think about it." he said and quickly got out of the room, Iwashi jogging to keep up with him.

The teenager looked at him with a furrowed brow. "Do you have a problem with Inuzuka-san?"

"Of course not, she and I go way back." Minato replied, though mentioning that his third teammate Genki had been Tsume's husband before he ditched after Kiba was born was something you didn't bring up casually. "It's more her clan's ninken-they don't like Kira being around because of the fox smell. Even Kakashi-kun's summon Pakkun had trouble with the smell at first."

"Why not simply hide the scent?" Iwashi questioned.

Minato smiled briefly, though it was bitter. "Doesn't work-the smell would fade and the fox scent would come through." _Kushina-chan had the same problem_. He shook his head, and glanced at Iwashi when they reached the study. "Stay out here, this is above your rank."

"I'm chuunin." Iwashi pointed out.

" _S_ -rank."

Iwashi's eyes widened, and his face paled. "Understood."

Minato nodded, and knocked before opening the door. He stared as Sarutobi froze briefly, his eyes catching sight of the orange book being shoved out of sight, and the blond sighed softly. _Now I know who likely encouraged Jiraiya-sensei's habits_ , he thought sardonically. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Isn't your current presence an interruption by itself?" Sarutobi replied, brow raised.

Minato smirked slightly. _Nice save, old man_. His expression became composed once more. 

"There is something I need to talk to you about." he eyed the old Hokage critically. "Noharas Kazuo and Etsuko, I finally got to their release paper."

Sarutobi sighed deeply. "Damn paperwork." he muttered. "Even now it one ups me."

Minato stiffened. "So you're not denying it?" he balked when the man's kindly gaze hardened and he remembered just who he was talking to.

"I have made many mistakes, but this is not one of them." he said gravelly.

Minato frowned slowly. "What are you talking about? What could an elderly couple do to warrant their deaths being S-ranked-" he stopped, his eyes widening as something cold ran up his spine. "Were their deaths even by natural causes at all?"

Sarutobi leaned his elbows on his desk, hands clasped and folded under his chin. Minato felt like he did before their Hokage roles had switched. "Listen very carefully to what I am about to say." he said solemly. "As far as the village is concerned, the Noharas were a kind, upstanding couple who died peacefully in their sleep. In truth...they were assassinated."

Minato went ridgid. " _What?_ Why?"

Sarutobi's expression didn't change. "They were traitors to the leaf."

Minato's eyes widened, his jaw slackening as he felt like he was punched to the gut. "But-wha- _huh_? This doesn't make any sense. Were they sleeper agents?"

The old man sighed once more. "Perhaps that would have been easier to accept, but no, they were in completely sound mind when they commited treason."

The blond was still having a hard time wrapping his head around this abrupt information. "What did they do?"

"During the third shinobi war, they conspired with Tanigakure and sold to them a valuable asset. During interrogation they detailed how they snuck the asset out of the village in the cover of darkness and handed off to the Tani shinobi. It wasn't until morning we realized what transpired and set about retrieving...the asset."

Minato's brow creased, his insides jumbled and his throat constricted. It was unbelievable. "Did they say why they did it?"

"For the simplest of human emotions-hate." Sarutobi replied. 

"For the leaf?" Minato asked incredulously. 

The old man was quiet for a moment. "Behind my portraiture in your office is a safe. Enter 081 and you will find the details of the mission." he sighed once more. "I never wanted you nor Kushina-kun to find out, but I knew this day would come. When you are finished, no matter what you may think of me, burn the documents."

Minato was confused and irritated, but the mention of Kushina threw him for a loop. What did his wife have to do with this? "Alright." he said stiffly, because honestly he was too worried about what he would find. "I have to go pick up Kira," he bowed curtly to the man, "thank you for your time."

\--------

Minato was jittery, his entire being like a livewire. He'd helped pack Kira's supper into a container, selfishly wanting the moment to never end because he knew Jiraiya was waiting for them at the village gates. He'd forced everything out of his mind for the precious time left until Kira was set to leave. Extra rations and emergency money were sealed into a storage scroll, and closing Kira's travelling bag felt harder to do than expected.

"I...I always thought when I saw you off for a mission, it wouldn't be until you were twelve." Minato said softly.

Kira smiled sadly at him. They both called it a 'mission' for the sake of treating it seriously. "I know, but I'll come back. Ero-oji's one of the toughest shinobi around, right? He won't let anything happen to me."

_He'd better not_ , Minato thought darkly, but for appearance sake didn't let Kira see it in his returning grin. "That's right." He grabbed Kira's hand and led him to the foyer, and held the travelling bag as Kira put on his summer jacket. 

"You're leaving already?" Taji's voice called before she appeared around the corner, Naruto in her arms. 

Kira nodded solemly. "This is another step to getting stronger. Won't let that stupid fox control me." he muttered, though his expression softened as Naruto reached for him. Kira accepted the infant and hugged him close, who gurgled and snuggled into his chest. Kira's eyes turned sad as he rested his head on the baby's. "I'll be back soon, Otouto." he kissed Naruto on the forehead. "I love you." he whispered, and it broke Minato's heart to see Kira reluctantly hand Naruto back to Taji. "Take care of him while I'm gone, please, Taji-san."

Taji nodded, her expression kind. "I promise."

Kira sniffled, and he wiped a tear away that Minato pretended not to notice. "I-I'm ready to go, Otou-san."

"Okay." Minato grabbed Kira's hand and they left the house. "It'll just be you and Jiraiya-sensei, no guard can go with you I'm afraid."

Kira nodded listlessly. "I figured. Still, it'll only be for two days, right?"

"Right." Minato nodded. "And remember, if there's anything-and I mean anything at all-that is too much for you, just activate your locator seal and I'll be there." He squeezed Kira's hand. "I'll always be there for you. You and Naruto-tan are my whole world."

Kira smiled weakly. "I know. I'll try to bring back some pictures-just so Naruto-chan can see all the places his big brother's been."

Minato chuckled softly. "That sounds nice. We can all look at them together when you get back." his mood dampened when they finally reached the gate, where Jiraiya was waiting and the man huffed.

"Took you both long enough, I've been waiting here for hours." 

Minato rolled his eyes. "We made you wait five minutes at most." he retorted. 

"Details." Jiraiya waved it off, but reached down to ruffle Kira's hair. "So, pipsqueak, you excited about getting to see the world?"

"That...sounds like it would take more than two days." Kira said hesitantly.

Jiraiya laughed and shook his head. "You've got a sense of humor, kid, that's good." he nodded to Minato. "Say goodbye to your dad and we can hit the road."

Kira looked up at the blond, who knelt down to hug him tight. "I'm gonna miss you." The brunet whispered.

Minato's eyes stung. "Gonna miss you more." he said softly. He pulled back enough to gently pull the boy's goggles down over his eyes, and kissed his forehead. "I love you, and I know you'll make me proud."

Kira's eyes shined, and his grin was so painstakingly familiar Minato realized Kira had inherited Kushina's smile as well as her resolve. "I'll do my best, dattebaro!"

Minato's chest tightened. "I know you will. Have a good trip." he straightened up, and gave his Sensei a hard look. "Bring him back to me."

Jiraiya's gaze was solemn. "You should really have more faith in me-you're not the only one who cares about this kid." Minato glanced away, and the white-haired man's expression lightened up as he looked at Kira. "Come on, pipsqueak, we're burning daylight!"

Kira nodded, and hurried to catch up to the man as they walked out of the village. 

Minato stood in place, his eyes locked on their retreating forms until he couldn't see them anymore on the path. It was only then he allowed himself to remember the papers in the safe, and in an instant found himself back in his office.

The blond opened the portrait and turned the safe's dial with the combination he was given. The lock opened with a creak. _These things seriously need an oiling_ , but the joke went flat as Minato's gaze was only on the papers inside.

He took in a deep breath, but as he grabbed them, Kakashi's chakra flared, and the teenager's voice was unusually subservient. 

"You weren't suppose to find out this way, Hokage-sama."

Minato's stomach dropped. What was he going to see that was so bad? Then his eyes landed on the description, and his stomach dropped.

_By order of the Sandaime, Nohara Kazuo and Nohara Etsuko are to be executed under the crime of treason. They have been in contact with Tanigakure and sold to them a valuable village asset-a leaf civilian listed under the official name of Uzumaki-Nohara Kira._

Minato's fist slammed into the wall with enough force to leave cracks.


	10. Shards Of Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll say this now, because I don't want there to be as much confusion, and certainly not unintentional at that. You've all probably noticed a few discrepancies with how the timeline seems to be, and that is because I've changed a few things to try and fit it into a more cohesive timeline because the original one was mind-boggling. Sorry to rant, but it's just the original one didn't make much sense and seemed to contradict itself.

"So, where are we going?"

Jiraiya groaned, and Kira's nose wrinkled. "We've only been out of the village for an hour, you really gonna start the whole 'are we there yet' spiel?"

" _No,_ " Kira huffed, but he looked up at the man suspiciously, "and how do you know how long we've been gone for?"

"By the direction of the sun." Jiraiya replied. "And right now I'd guess we got about a few hours before the sun goes down. So you'd better keep up, pipsqueak, 'cause I'm not sleeping outside."

Kira narrowed his eyes. "You travel everywhere-aren't you _used_ to camping?"

"Don't change the subject, kid." Jiraiya retorted. "Point is, I'd rather spend tomorrow getting as much training in as possible before we head back to Konoha."

Kira's stomach twisted in knots. Right, the real reason they were out here. It was never far behind in his thoughts, but he wanted to have at least _pretended_ Kyuubi wasn't why his 'uncle' actually wanted to spend time with him. "What if I can't control Kyuubi's chakra?"

"That's why your dad-er, Kushina that is-made your original seal." Jiraiya explained, and Kira reached to touch the spot on his back where the two seals were located. There weren't even any foggy memories of Kushina putting the first seal on him, so Kira wasn't surprised it was likely before he started to retain things.

"She was worried about how your demonic chakra could affect you, so she researched on how to modify the Shishō Fūin to keep it suppressed, but not to disconnect it from your chakra pathways completely. That way, you were supposed to be able to call on it when you concentrated-like a backup system, but with Kyuubi and the _other_ modifications she did to your seal-I won't lie, it's going to be hard." Jiraiya's voice lowered to a mutter. "No telling what's going on with Minato's chakra control either."

Kira flinched, guilt gnawing at him. Minato said getting captured by Sen wasn't his fault, but even now he couldn't bring himself to believe it. Sen was after _him_. Kira shook his head, grimacing. "How do I know if I called the Kyuubi's chakra? When I called my chakra the first time after the sealing, I still felt-well, _me._ "

"Hate to say it, kid, but that's not really surprising." Jiraiya replied. "I can't say for sure what the Kyuubi might have done to you before you were born, but it left an imprint of itself on you for sure."

"So..." Kira bit his lip. "It...really is a part of me." he whispered.

"Don't start on that," Jiraiya cut in sharply, and Kira looked up surprised, "the only fathers you have are named Kushina and Minato. And don't forget, thanks to Kushina, your chakra systems are seperate-first and foremost your chakra is human."

Kira nodded, as he could remember Minato telling him to call on his human chakra- "Wait, how am I supposed to tell the difference?"

Jiraiya stopped, and he rubbed his chin before shrugging. "Beats me."

Kira halted, his jaw dropping in disbelief. "What? I thought you were supposed to help me, 'ttebaro!"

"Well as long as _I_ can tell the difference when you call the chakra, we'll be just fine." Jiraiya said confidently.

Kira glowered. "And just how am I supposed to _get_ this chakra?"

"The quickest way would be to get you into a fight or flight response-pushing you off a cliff could do the trick," Jiraiya mused, and Kira's eyes widened in terror, "but even out here Minato would probably sense it and _try_ to murder me-although,with Kyuubi enhancements he could get in a few good shots. Well that settles it. Pipsqueak, you can try meditation first."

Kira's head spun, because he could barely follow what the man said, and when it finally settled in, he glowered at him. "Why'd you scare me like that if you were just going to say I'd be meditating anyway?"

"It amused me." Jiraiya grinned, ruffling the boy's hair and it widened when Kira petulantly shoved his hand away. "Plus it was to get back at you for calling me a pervert in public all the time."

"But you _are_ one," Kira retorted, "you wrote that dirty book Kakashi-san reads."

"I am not! I'm a sup-wait, when did you start calling that kid '-san'?"

Kira bit his lip. "He always wanted me to stop calling him 'nii-san.'" _It's not like I'm lying_ , he thought, but it still made him uncomfortable. He wondered if Jiraiya actually bought it, but even if he didn't Kira suspected he wasn't going to dig due to having to talk about what Kakashi said that night.

Which no one seemed to be in a hurry to bring up any time soon.

A rustling drew his attention, and Kira saw the branches on a bush from the side of the path move, breaking apart as a reddish-orange fox stepped out, head tilting and it yipped, light blue eyes focused on him, almost unnerving with the intellience in them. Kira grimaced. _Out of any animal_ , of course _a fox wouldn't mind my smell_.

"Do you think it smells the aburage in my backpack?" Kira questioned.

Jiraiya looked down at him incredulously. "Why do you-never mind. All I know is that a fox coming towards humans isn't normal behavior-even if it does smell you." he reached down and lifted Kira under his arm. "Besides, you're too slow anyway to keep up."

Kira scowled as he was sullenly carried along the path. Really, he was gonna be big enough one day so no one could carry him anymore.

As the two of them continued on their way, neither noticed when the fox's light blue eyes faded back to brown and lost what intelliegence had been present. 

The fox shook its head, but when it caught the scent of not only humans, but _the_ fox, it yelped and turned tail in fear, disappearing back into the forest.

\-------

_On the day of November 6_ , here Minato's chest tightened. That was only a day after he'd went on his recovery mission, but he stopped himself from going off and made himself keep reading the document, _the following are accounts from remedial genin Hatake Kakashi, genin Nohara Rin, and genin Uchiha Obito, on the disappearance of asset Uzumaki-Nohara Kira._

Minato closed his eyes, and in the back of his mind, he wondered if this was the reason Kakashi hadn't been more upset with being kept in the dark about Kyuubi. _Was it because he kept this from me?_ "Am I going to find out from these papers how my own students didn't tell me something so awful happened? With _my_ son?"

"We were going to tell you-or rather, Rin and Obito wanted to." Kakashi replied. "I think Sandaime-sama was going to allow it, but then Kira-kun was retrieved before you returned, and Kushina-san's nerves were already dangerously frayed...Sandaime-sama rendered Kira's retrieval mission S-rank and said we were not allowed to disclose what happened, and ordered to pretend that nothing had been amiss."

Minato breathed in deeply, calmly, despite how his insides were twisting. His knuckle ached, dust clinging to his fist. There was no doubt anymore that Kira's abduction had taken place during the month he had been on his recovery mission. His chest tightened further, because in his mind he could still see Kushina's pale, too clean face and her washed hair, but it was her twitchy, nervous expression that stayed with him, with them both as she couldn't sleep for almost two months without waking up every hour of the night.

Minato's fist clenched tighter. _I couldn't protect Kushina or Kira_. He didn't know what was worse, the mission he'd been on and the horror he'd witnessed, or the mission he didn't know about and had no idea what occured on it. His eyes gazed down at the papers in his hands. _Well_ , he thought morosely, _I'm about to find out about the latter._

Perhaps appropriate, or just ironic, the first account recorded was Kakashi's...

_He hadn't wanted to watch the brat. He didn't view Sensei's sudden departure as an implicit reason to slack off like that moron always did._ He _was the one who was supposed to watch the brat, but yet again the moron didn't show up on time, and Rin-san couldn't put off going to see her grandparents-he wasn't sure about the situation they had, nor did he really care-but she couldn't take the brat with her. Kakashi still tried to insist she take the brat anyway, but she said 'Obito will be here soon', and he grudgingly thought it wouldn't take the moron long to get Sensei's house since for some reason he liked the brat._

_Like always though, the moron took forever and Kakashi couldn't stand the brat bugging him to 'play'. As if he had time to waste on such a brat by throwing a rubber ball back and forth. His patience wore thin, and Kakashi dragged the brat to the back door of Sensei's home, and shoved the brat outside, throwing the ball onto the grass._

_"There, go fetch." he said coldly. He frowned behind his mask as the brat sniffled, innert two-year-old form sprawled on the grass. Kakashi used the tip of his sandal to push the brat onto his back. "What do you have to cry about, brat?"_

_The brat mewled, like some pathetic kitten begging for attention. Or some baby fox calling its parent. Well, Kakashi wasn't any of that. The brat looked at him with watery eyes. "You push Kira. It hurt."_

_"Quit your whining. I didn't break anything." Kakashi retorted._

_The brat wiped his eyes. "Kaka-nii mean."_

_Something cold and furious ran down his spine, reflecting in his icy gaze and tone. "I told you not to call me that, brat."_

_The brat flinched, leaning down to curl into a ball. Kakashi scoffed at the display and made his way back inside the house. The moron was supposed to feed the brat, but he doubted the idiot would get there in time for lunch anyway._

_Kakashi paid no attention to the sniffling out in the backyard that faded away, because like most spoiled brats, this one likely forgot all about his useless crying and went after his rubber ball. As soon as the water began boiling for the instant ramen, because the brat liked it and Kakashi had no patience to be nice to him further, there was a knocking at the door._

_"Hey, anyone here? Rin-chan, Kira-tan?"_

_It was about time that idiot arrived. Kakashi turned the stove's burner down before opening the door. "Rin-san is visiting her grandparents. What's your excuse this time for being late?"_

_The moron scowled at him. "It's not an excuse! An old woman was having trouble carrying her grocery bags home so I helped her. It's called being nice, maybe you should try it sometime!"_

_Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "I stayed here with the brat instead of leaving."_

_The moron scoffed. "Yeah, 'cause that just screams 'I'm so nice'." he muscled past him, heading straight for the backyard. "Kira-tan? Your awesome big brother has come to save you from Bakashi!"_

_There was no reply._

_Kakashi frowned as he turned the stove off alltogether. He made his way to the backyard, and spotted the moron just standing there. "What did-" he sidestepped when the moron whirled around and lunged for him, crashing into the grass. "And what was that for?"_

_The moron spat out the grass, and glared up at him. "You weren't watching him."_

_Kakashi's frown deepened, but that's when he saw it. The gate that locked from the inside, and lead out into the village, was wide open. And the brat was gone._

Minato's heart sank, because he honestly didn't know whether to be surprised or not. He knew Kakashi was a different person at ten, but he didn't realize how stark the change in his student now was. "Do you still think so badly of Kira?"

Kakashi was silent for a long time. "It's...complicated. I did not like much of anyone back then, and I found it insulting Sandaime-sama thought I needed to re-learn the meaning of teamwork." he paused. "He was right, but I still resented being made into a genin again."

Minato nodded, but found Kakashi hadn't answered his question. He _evaded_ it, and the blond wondered if his student's callous remark against Kira that night was a slip of the tongue, or his filter was off. Either way, now wasn't the time to think about it.

His attention turned to the next record, which happened to be Obito's...

_How could Bakashi have the nerve to still call him an idiot after this? Even Obito knew you didn't leave small children by themselves. They could hurt themselves, or eat something they're not supposed too-or-or-or_ this! _Bakashi took his eyes off Kira-tan for a minute and he goes missing! Kushina-nee was going to murder them and Sensei-kun probably wouldn't stop her._

_Stupid Bakashi. And Rin-chan was going to be so upset if Kira-tan wasn't found soon._

_Obito hadn't wasted time in scouring the village looking for Kira-tan, while Bakashi stayed at Rin-chan's thinking Kira-tan would come wandering back. Didn't Bakashi know anything? If Kira-tan left on his own, then he wouldn't go back willingly. It was like how when things went south between Sachiko-nee and her parents, Rin-chan left to live with her, Kushina-nee and Sensei-kun._

_Honestly, it wouldn't have surprised him if Kira-tan got out on his own just to get away from Bakashi._

_Despite his best efforts, Obito's search kept getting blocked by everyone he talked to being as unhelpful as possible._

_"Have you seen a small toddler, brown hair, orange eyes, and three whisker marks on his face?"_

_"Why I-wait, the demon is loose?"_

_That honestly should have been a warning sign, but with each mounting attempt to disuade him of his search ("If the demon is out, maybe someone will finally get rid of it", "Just let the spawn go, it'll die eventually", "Why are you looking for it? Don't worry, it's bewitchment will wear off and you won't care about it") he felt the pressure of it getting to him._

_And after what must have been hours of searching, because the sun was high in the sky at the start of it, and now it moved several degrees to the west, he wondered if he was going to find Kira-tan. The village was so big after all._

_But then he saw several stray dogs growling at a trashcan, their ears pinned in the strangely angry/scared way whenever Kira-tan was near._

_He swallowed thickly_. 'If I pull off the lid, what am I going to find?' _Nothing good, but maybe it wouldn't be a tiny corpse at least. He wanted his Sharingan to activate, but not if it meant finding something so horrible._

_After shooing the dogs away, Obito lifted his shaky fingers to the trash lid, and in some morbid way was relieved to find only clothes. Then it struck him-these were Kira-tan's clothes, because underneath the collar of the orange shirt, was his name stamped into a tag. His stomach dropped as a bottle of black hair dye tumbled out of from under the shirt and clattered at his feet, because it meant this wasn't just a little boy getting lost._

_Someone kidnapped him._

_...and that's when Kakashi and Obito went to Sandaime-sama,_ Minato thought, his still chest uncomfortably tight. Even if it was just Obito being recorded, it hurt after almost three years to imagine him speaking the words written down. "At least you and Obito-kun agreed this needed to be reported." The blond said dryly, because what else could he say right now? 

"...we still argued all the way there though." Kakashi admitted quietly. 

"I can imagine." Minato replied, but his fingers almost slipped as he finally came to Rin's account. 

_She'd been apprehensive and a little bit excited at seeing her grandparents. Rin didn't like choosing between them or Sachiko-oba, but she couldn't help but find they were being unfair to her aunt just because she wanted to have Kushina-nee's baby. Her grandparents had taken Rin in when her father died and her mother left, but Sachiko-oba had did most of the work in taking care of her._

_It was why when even though Rin arrived at her grandparents' home, she was a little disappointed Ojii-san wasn't home, but didn't let it show as Obaa-san led her into the tea room._

_"It's so good to see you, Rin-chan. You've grown so much." Obaa-san said warmly._

_Rin rubbed her arm bashfully. "I haven't changed that much. Maybe got a little taller." she glanced around, but at the time didn't think to question the pictures of Sachiko on the cabinet. It wasn't that they were there, but Rin could distinctly remember in each photo Kushina would be standing beside her, but it was like the pictures were cropped so only Sachiko was present._

_But before she hadn't thought to notice it. All she did was sit across from her Obaa-san and enjoy having tea with her, and chatting about how things were going._

_And then Rin slipped up. "And Kira-tan is just so cute, he looks a lot like Sachiko-oba-"_

_"Don't mention that_ boy _to me." Obaa-san set her cup down with a firm 'clack' on the table, tea spilling over the edge. Her previously kind expression was like steel now. "He and_ that woman _took the only child I had left from me."_

_Rin shrank in her chair, torn between the urge to defend Kushina-nee and Kira-tan, but to not ruin such a rare meeting. She tried to think of a compromise, but found herself unable to let the insult slide. "Respectfully, Obaa-san, you're wrong." she clenched her fingers around her cup harder, so hard she thought it would break when her Obaa-san turned a cold glare on her._

_"Kira didn't kill Sachiko-oba," Rin continued firmly, despite how much she wavered inside, "she died from chakra poisoning, from the_ Kyuubi's _chakra, not Kushina-nee's. She and Kira had nothing to do with it."_

_Obaa-san looked bitter, and she took a long, hard sip from her tea cup. Perhaps, in hindsight, she'd been about to tell Rin to get out, but the sound of the front door opening cut her off._

_"Etsuko?" Her Ojii-san called, and he stopped short in the archway, tucked under his arm a lumpy sack. "Oh, Rin-chan, sorry I wasn't here."_

_"It's okay, dear, she was just leaving." Obaa-san said sweetly, and like the previous conversation never happened, she began ushering Rin to the door, but she looked at the sack._

_"What's in there?"_

_Ojii-san shrugged, jostling the sack as a part hanging under his arm waved. "Just potatoes."_

_Rin didn't question it, but when Kakashi-kun and Obito-kun came looking for her, and explained what happened to Kira-tan, she wished she'd remembered the sack._

_She wished she questioned a lot of things._

Minato's chest ached, his throat constricting as he realized these were the only things he had of his two lost students. _I said I'd protect my loved ones and still failed_. It wasn't the first time he realized it, but it was the only time he felt the crushing weight settle over him. And the worst part was knowing they had both taken to the grave a secret that must have weighed heavily upon them.  
_They were only ten_ , his eyes glanced over to Kakashi, who was kneeling and utterly still, _he was only ten_. But the harsh truth was that there was a war happening, and Minato knew the Sandaime had his reasons for keeping this a secret.

It didn't mean he was happy about it. 

"Go home Kakashi-kun." Minato said quietly.

The teen- _the fifteen-year-old_ , the blond thought morosely-looked at him, expression concealed behind his animal mask, but the tone was almost unnerved when he spoke, "Hokage-sama?"

"I'm not mad," Minato said softly, but wondered if that were even true. He was still having trouble processing everything, "I'm just very tired. I know you must be too, from having to keep this from me, so go home and rest-I'll be fine for the rest of the day."

For once, Kakashi bowed his head, not trying to insist on staying with him. "Yes, sir."

Minato was about to tell him formality wasn't necessary, but Kakashi was gone by then. The blond sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, and picked up the rest of the documents. It was going to take a long time to find the energy to finish these.

His eyes hardened. _But I will get the truth. About this, and about everything else too._ This was one step towards closure, he just needed to keep reminding himself of that.

And hope it would be enough for what else was going to be thrown at him.

\------

Kira grimaced, but as discomforting as going bathroom in the woods was, walking was a nice reprieve from being carried around. He washed his hands with the sanitizer Minato packed him, and looked around for where he'd last seen Jiraiya. There was nothing but trees and bushes though.

Kira sighed, and took a whiff of the air, but immediately covered his nose. He could still smell his urine. _Ick!_ Grimacing, Kira edged away until he couldn't smell it anymore. That led him further into the forest, and he halted when in the distance he spotted a log cabin. 

Even from his perspective it didn't look very big, and he could only spy a front door and a window on the side. _Does someone live out here? We're in the middle of nowhere and Konoha's just a little over an hour from here._

"What are you looking at?"

Kira shrieked, bolting forward and spun around, his heart racing as he glared up at the grinning white-haired man. "Don't do that, dattebaro!" he shouted, expression twisted as he tried to calm his heart. 

"I'd say sorry, but it was just too easy." Jiraiya replied, and his eyes turned to the cabin. "Well, looks like it's our lucky day. If it's abandoned, we don't have to reach Tonika Village until tomorrow _and_ we get a roof over our heads tonight."

Kira eyed him critically. "And if it's not?"

Jiraiya shrugged. "We keep moving or I can charm my way into letting us stay."

Kira scoffed and crossed his arms. "Yeah right." he muttered, but still followed after the man to the front door. His brow furrowed once they got close enough to make out details; the wooden door was chipped, the bark on the side of the house peeling and the window looked dusty. "I...I don't _think_ someone lives here."

"Good for us then, but appearances can be deceiving. Let's check inside." Jiraiya said, the door opening with only a creak. "Watch your step, and call me if you find something."

Kira seriously wondered what he would find in this dusty place. But as the man left, the boy looked around. A layer of dust and grime covered everything, from the table and two chairs in the small kitchen, to the sink above the side window and the pot hanging over the fireplace with only ashes left. The room was also rather bare, no signs someone lived here for a while. 

Though strangely, there were odd discrepancies around the floor and pot, like one coat of dust was newer because of how little there was of it. _This is weird. Does someone live here or not?_ Maybe they had the idea Jiraiya did about camping in an abandoned building?

The brunet walked down the hall, seeing the trail of footsteps Jiraiya left behind and more odd dust displacements, and took a detour into the bedroom on the left while he looked at the one on the right. Kira slid the paper blind aside, and his nose immediately itched. Kira held his sleeve over his face, and his eyes found salt littering the ground on the side. 

His stomach rolled-it was in a circle. Beneath the salt, there was something else, the nauseating metallic and copper smell, no matter how faded it was. The room was bigger than the kitchen, and at the end of the space laid a bunch of leaves strewn about and covered in dirt with a large dark brown stain beneath it- _blood_. Someone tried to cover up the blood.

A whimper built up in Kira's throat, his arms coming to rest around himself as he slowly began to realize where he was. _Is this really happening? Is this where_ \- An image flashed in his mind, of Minato lying on a mat and bleeding, and he collapsed to his knees. A wail ripped itself from his throat, eyes tearing as he realized this was it- _this was it_ -

"Kira!" Jiraiya shook his shoulder, and Kira clung to the man's arm, even as Jiraiya awkwardly carried him out of the room. "What's wrong? Is this about getting me back for earlier?"

Kira shook his head virgorously. "This is the place we were taken."

Jiraiya's expression darkened. "Are you sure?"

Kira hiccuped. "I got a flash of Otou-san lying on the ground, he was giving birth." His voice lowered, and he pointed a shaky finger to the room he was previously in. "It happened in there."

The white-haired man sighed heavily. "Out of all the places, I can't believe we just stumbled in on a crime scene. Okay, I'll send a message to Minato and have him get a squad in here to investigate. Wait in there," he pointed to the other room, "and try not to touch anything, got it?"

Kira wiped his eyes. "Okay." He walked into the other room, finding it was even more bare than the previous room somehow. The whole house was surprisingly empty of personal belongings. He listened to the frenetic scribbling outside, and the 'poof' of a summons being called before his attention was drawn to a singed spot on the floorboards by the closet. 

His curiosity got the better of him, and he pulled aside the wooden blinds to find a small cramped space devoid of items. Except for the piece of paper sticking just barely through two floor planks. Kira carefully picked it up, pulling with it one of the planks, but his eyes widened when he saw the photograph.

"Okay, Minato-kun should be getting the message about now-what did I say about touching anything?" Jiraiya asked annoyed as he entered the room. Kira only held up the picture, and the man narrowed his eyes. "You were lonely so you brought pictures from home?"

Kira blinked. "No, I found it in there." he pointed to the floorboards, but now only realized what it meant. "They..." his hands shook, "they were after Otou-san, weren't they?"

"Don't talk like that, these psychos probably didn't know what they wanted. It could have all just been done for sh-er, fun." Jiraiya replied, but he still took the photo from him.

Kira didn't care, it was better than looking at a picture of a younger Minato smiling at the camera, one arm held out of view but the rest of the photo burned off and the edges left singed. "Why would they want him?"

"We don't know what happened that night." Jiraiya said, but there was an edge to his voice, like he wasn't sure what to make of it either. He unzipped a pocket in Kira's bag and slid the photo inside. "We'll leave a note for the ANBU that show up we found a photo and we're keeping it for evidence. I doubt this is the only one, so I'll tell them to scour the house for more just to get a sense of what this is." he patted the pocket. "You keep that safe until we get back to Konoha."

Kira blinked. "We're still training?"

Jiraiya scoffed. "If the ANBU are so good, they'll find us at Tonika and we can give them the picture then." he ruffled the boy's hair. "Come on, we're wasting even more daylight just standing around."

Kira nodded, and as they exited the house, deep down the brunet was relieved to be out of there.

\------

Deep within a cavernous room, dim lights lit up a giant statue with many hands, and before it a figure stood gazing up at it. They wore a black cloak and an orange mask with a flame pattern, a mask that had been pulled out to replace the broken white one. 

The figure turned, and a single hole in the mask showed an emotionless dark eye which stared at the ground as another figure slowly emerged, one side of it white and the other black, with green appendages sprouting from its sides in the shape of a venus flytrap.

The plant-like figure spoke first, it's white half stating, "The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki isn't in Konoha anymore," and the black half finished in a much harsher voice, **"so do you want us to snatch him and get the sealing over with?"**

The Masked Man didn't reply for a long moment, and despite his concealed face, his eye narrowed as he frowned behind it. "No, it's too early." The statement held more significance than a simple statement of fact, which the plant man picked up on.

It's darker half retorted with, **"Even if the Kyuubi can't be sealed until the other eight are gathered, the Jinchuuriki can still be held captive. He's a child, and easily cowed by what we've observed; frightening him into co-operating wouldn't take much effort."**

"I said it's too early." The Masked Man replied, his fist clenching, but he reprimanded himself for the show of weakness. "Have you told _Pain_ any of this?" As the man mentioned wasn't present, the masked figure didn't bother hiding the derisive tone when he spoke his moniker.

"No," the white half said, "because after observing the Jinchuuriki and the Toad Sannin, they...well, they found the house. "

The Masked Man stared at him for a moment. He did not ask to elaborate about _which_ house, because there was only _that_ house, but there was something that took more precedent. "Why is there still a house _to_ find?" his dark eye narrowed. "Why didn't you burn it down after Minato-kun escaped?"

"Half-plant, remember?" The white half said, and it's other side continued tersely, **"And we still took out anything that could arouse suspicion like the shrine, the bloody clothes, and that three-pronged kunai he nearly took our head off with that night. The only thing we couldn't get rid of was the blood on the floor and the photo we missed-"**

The Masked Man stiffened. "You missed a photograph?" he breathed in deeply. "Now there will be Konoha shinobi swarming over it with a fine-toothed comb for anything else you might have missed." He shook his head roughly. "Get that picture back and _I'll_ deal with the house myself." And as the air distorted around him, he was gone.

Alone, the white half of the plant man said quietly, "Do you think we should have told him about what we sensed while in Konoha?"

The black half sneered. **"That the boy only has half the Kyuubi while the Yondaime has the other? No, Madara wants the Namikaze, so we're going to keep our mouth shut about it."**

And with that, the plant man left as well.

\-------

Staggering, Kira's stomach did flips after he climbed down from the summon's back He didn't _quite_ fall to his knees and kiss the ground in relief, but he was tempted too. His fingers ached from holding the harness, and his eyes stung from being squeezed shut. _All that hopping for only a thirty-minute trip_ , was the only coherent thought he had, disbelief setting in at the fact the house was so close to Tonika in the first place. 

After thanking the summon and dispelling it, Jiraiya patted the brunet on the head, who immediately held a hand over his mouth. "What's the matter? I thought you liked the toads?"

"I do," Kira said weakly, "just not actually travelling on them." It didn't help that he'd been terrified by how high up he'd been. The toad hadn't been very tall, perhaps around mid-tree height, but to him it was like being hundreds of feet off the ground. Only salt made him feel this bad.

"Well if you still want to sign the contract you're gonna have to toughen up, kiddo." Jiraiya retorted, and gave Kira a push on the back to make him start walking.

Kira groaned as he held his stomach, and was more than relieved when they stopped at a small shop, taking a booth next to a window as his nerves finally settled. "So what am I going to be learning first?"

"I'll show you the handseals for a water technique, since I'm guessing with Kushina-chan's genes it'd be an affinity you got." Jiraiya replied, and Kira nodded in affirmative, but he paused and frowed slowly.

"Sensei didn't want me learning ninjutsu though until I could make the leaf stay on my forehead for twenty minutes." 

"Well, right now I'm your teacher and as your teacher I say you can get a head start." Jiraiya retorted. "You'll practice the handseals until you get it down, and then you'll talk to the fox and get it's chakra boost. With me so far?"

Kira bit his lip, but nodded hesitantly. "I am." Except the 'talk to the fox' made him anxious-the last time didn't go so well.

Their talk was interrupted by an old woman walking up to the booth, smiling as she held a notepad. "Welcome, what would you like to drink?"

"Two mugichas and we'll take a plate of inarizushi." Jiraiya said, and he grinned as he caught Kira's scowl. "And could you make sure it's non-salted?"

The old woman nodded, her pleasant smiling widening. "Of course; it's so sweet to see a grandfather and grandson spending time together." she missed the way Jiraiya's eye twitched as Kira snickered quietly. "And don't worry, sir, we make sure our aburage is made without salt to ensure our older cliente don't have high blood pressure."

Once she was gone, Kira yipped as a foot gently kicked him in the shin and he glared at Jiraiya. "She's the one who thinks you're old, _I_ didn't say anything."

"You call me old man all the time." Jiraiya retorted.

"No I don't, I call you uncle, but if you want I can change it to that." Kira said just as snippily.

The white-haired man rubbed his forehead. "Damn Minato-kun murdering me for drinking in front of you, I should have just ordered a sake for myself."

"I thought shinobi weren't suppose to drink?" Kira asked. "Isn't that one of rules?"

"Listen pipsqueak, there's a lot of ninja rules out there, but pretty much no one follows them to a T. We're still just human no matter how much the job demands we hide it." Jiraiya explained.

Kira's expression turned contemplative and thoughtful. "Then...is that why you're so weird?"

Jiraiya's eyes twitched again as he tensed. "I'm giving you useful advice and you can ask that?"

Kira blinked. "Oh, but I still wanna know why." he pouted when the older man only rolled his eyes and remained silent on the topic. 

Soon enough though, their meal arrived and Kira popped one roll after another into his mouth, munching on the tofu inside. Something warm and happy resonated inside of him, and he wondered if it had anything to do with the fact he could eat in peace or no one was glaring at him. _Otou-san was right, I do feel more at peace._

And with that happy feeling inside, once they were done eating, Kira dragged a reluctant Jiraiya to a photo booth and grinned at the camera. The man looked put-upon, but the brunet noticed him crack a smile as he ruffled his hair.

Despite his reservations, Kira couldn't wait for tomorrow.

\------

Minato hadn't been uneasy when he arrived back home and until a stab of anguish filled him that faded just as quickly. He'd been ready to go out and find Jiraiya and Kira, but reminded himself the man was a Sannin. The brief flash of anxiey was likely nerves. 

Then a messenger toad showed up on his kitchen table, almost causing Taji to skewer it with a kunai and Naruto squealed in delight as he reached for it. Minato though had focused on the message it gave him, and he'd let out a deep sigh before sending out an ANBU squad.

It made his gut wrench to think Kira had been in the place where they were kept, and a miracle that no one had been skulking around just in case. The urge to find his son and bring him home was strong, but Minato tempered it with taking over the supper Taji was making.

He wouldn't let it show, but the fact the house had likely been found shook him deeply. Some morbid part of him wanted to go there too and see the place where he not only was stashed away, but where he'd given birth to Naruto.

More than that, Minato just wanted answers about what happened that night. Though another more logical side knew that it was unlikely evidence would still be in that house, just because of how long it was and from the state described, it wasn't in good condition. _Even the blood they found could be contaminated from the elements_ , he thought, but the discovery of the possible crime scene made him revisit what he knew of his and Kira's abduction.

How had the kidnapper been able to transport them both not only out the village but so far into the woods? A body flicker could explain the distance being easy enough to close, but there was also the factors of Minato's labour to consider and the hassle of carrying them both. It didn't make any sense, and it frustrated him to find even with every new clue there was alway something else missing.

Which was why, as Minato's emotions felt as though they were going to boil over, he was relieved to hear the knock on the front door. He turned the burner off and moved the pan of stir fry to the side. "I'll get that." he said before Taji could stand, and rushed over to the door, a smile coming over his lips as he saw Mikoto outside with Sasuke in her arms and Itachi trailing behind her with a bag in hand. "What brings you out here?"

"I thought we could try and let Sasuke and Naruto have another playdate, hopefully this time they won't try to claw at each other." Mikoto replied dryly. 

Minato stepped aside to allow them in, and glanced at the bag the boy was holding. "What do you got there, Itachi-kun?"

The child clutched the bag tighter. "Okaa-san wanted to show you this," he glanced at the woman, likely seeking approval as she nodded and Itachi held the bag out to the blond, "here."

Minato accepted the bag with a bemused look on his face. "Thank you." he replied. He led them into the kitchen, and smiled sheepishly. "I wasn't expecting company, so I didn't make much food-would you like some chicken stir fry?"

"No thank you, we already ate dinner." Mikoto said politely. She stepped over to Naruto's high chair, where the infant was blinking up at her with large blue eyes. "Hello again, Naruto-chan." she cooed, and the blond baby gurgled. "Would you like to play with Sasuke-chan?" 

Naruto tilted his head, but began babbling incoherently as he lifted his arms out to Taji. The brunette chuckled as she picked Naruto up. "That'll be a yes." she nodded to the living room. "I'll set up some toys in there."

Mikoto nodded and handed Sasuke to Itachi, where the dark-haired infant squirmed against his shoulder. "Go watch your brother, I have to talk with Minato-kun."

Itachi nodded, but glanced at Minato. "Where's Kira-sama?

"Hmm? Oh, he's with Jiraiya-sensei." Minato answered as he took a seat at the table, and noticed the raised brow Mikoto sent his way. "What?"

"This is a turn-around. Before you would hardly let Kira-kun out of your sight, and now you're letting him roam around with Sensei?"

Minato shrugged. "Believe me, it wasn't an easy decision, but I felt given...everything, I needed to stop being so clingy." Which was a massive lie, because even now Minato wanted nothing more than to storm out and bring Kira home. But with each impulse, he only reminded himself with a simple reassurance, one he repeated aloud, "Jiraiya-sensei can protect him, and he's only going to be out of the village for two days."

Mikoto stared at him. "Out of the village? Why would he- _oh_ ," her features went flat for a moment, "he needs to start so soon?"

"Sensei thinks it's for the best, just so he doesn't...freak out." Minato had a bad taste in his mouth every time he had to lie about Kira taking the blame for his mistakes. 

"Minato-sama," Itachi spoke up, "with all due respect, you did a stupid thing."

Mikoto's eyes widened. "Itachi! No matter how informal we are with Minato-kun, he is still the Hokage. You shouldn't say such things." her eyes narrowed. "Now apologize to him."

Minato held up his hands in placation. "It's alright, I've pretty much been telling myself that anyway."

"Still..." Mikoto gave the boy a stern glance. "Go into the living room, and we will discuss this at home."

Itachi bowed his head. "Hai, Okaa-san." he replied quietly before disappearing into the living room.

"It's really not a big deal." Minato said as Mikoto took a seat. "Frankly, it kind of worried me that he was always so formal."

"Perhaps that's true, but his bluntness is getting to a point where it's going to rub some people the wrong way, and I just don't want him to get in trouble because of it." Mikoto explained. She waved it away though with a smile. "Now about why I came over; it took a bit of time, but I finally found what you were looking for. I got what I could on Namikaze Junichi."

Minato set the bag on the table and was a bit surprised there was only a handful of documents. Then again, if his ancestor was obscure, he should be lucky there was even this much given how far back the Uchiha and Namikaze clans could go. "Thank you, this will be helpful." he found a copy of the photograph that Junichi kept in his journal, but this was bigger, and he was genuinely surprised to find instead of just names on the back, it was a family tree.

A line connecting from Madara and Izuna stated them to be brothers, no surprise there, but while Madara had no other lines, Izuna had two of them. One linked to a 'Kotone' who was likely woman in the picture, where the line connecting her to Izuna said 'wife', and descending from both were the names of their two children. The _other_ line however which connected Junichi to Izuna said 'companion' and Minato's eyes widened when he saw the line from both trailed down to the names of their two...children.

"Is this right?" Minato asked faintly, both surprised and shocked. "Or am I hallucinating?"

Mikoto glanced at the names, and she gave the blond an amused look. "Are you really so surprised the Seahorse Seal was in use back then? The life expectancy in the Warring States Era was _thirty_ ; people were likely popping kids out just to make up for the death toll alone." she explained, but her eyes gained a sly glint. "Or is it because Izuna was getting it on with two people? That's a bit hypocritical, don't you think?"

Minato blushed. "It's not that. It's just the shock I might actually be related to Izuna and Madara."

Mikoto shrugged. "The Uchiha and Namikaze clans travelled together, so it's not a stretch to imagine we're all related in some way. The tricky part is figuring how closely we're related to avoid severe inbreeding; rule of thumb-second cousins are fair game, first and siblings are not."

Minato's face was almost completely red by the time Mikoto finished. _Sensei lamented none of us picking up his habits too soon_ , he thought, because his former teammate's rather blunt description contrasted with how composed she normally was. "I'd say good to know, but I'm pretty sure I'm the only Namikaze left."

"In Konoha perhaps, but there could be more out there." Mikoto replied, and smiled at him. "Just make sure they're not a first cousin."

Minato groaned quietly. "For the last time, I'm not looking for a relationship. I have too much on my plate right now to be thinking about that." And speaking of which, the blond got up from his seat to grab himself a plate of stiry fry before sitting back down again. "If you're this bad in trying to get me to move on, I feel sorry for your kids when you try to set them up on dates."

Mikoto snorted indelicately. "And I feel sorry for your kids because you _won't_ want them dating." she tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps though I should feel sorry for whoever they decide to get a crush on."

"Then please direct your concern toward Shisui-kun." Minato muttered, because as petty as it was to be mad at a ten-year-old, Kira was too young to have a crush on anyone. 

To his surprise, Mikoto smiled. "Kira has a crush on Shisui-kun? That's so cute. It's like when we were younger and you'd always try to get Kushina-chan's attention," her smile dimmed a bit, but it still held, "looks like he's taking after you in that department."

On the one hand, a surge of pride flowed through Minato, but on the other it was soured by the fact he didn't want to think about if one day Kira looked at Shisui, the latter would look back. "Kira's only seven."

"Weren't you the same age when Kushina-chan was put into your class at the Academy?" Mikoto retorted, but her expression softened as she saw Minato's uneasy expression. "I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable, just that Shisui's been through so much and he's still a polite, good kid. Reminds me of someone else I know." she gave him a pointed look, and Minato sighed deeply.

"Can't deny that." he replied, because despite his obvious unpleasantness towards him, Shisui had been nothing but respectful when talking to him. If admittedly a bit fearful as well. "Though can we just drop it? I'd like to have some years to delude myself Kira only has a crush on Shisui-kun before I'm forced to recognize whether it may or may not be just that." 

Mikoto chuckled as she shook her head. "Keep telling yourself that." she said before rising from her seat and heading into the living room.

Minato glanced at his plate, but found his appetite lacking at the moment. He gathered the documents on his ancestor up back into the bag and made his way to his room. He left them on his bed, but his eyes landed on the reports of Kira's kidnapping. His gut twisted; he hadn't been able to read anymore when he got home and left them on his nightstand. 

Sighing, Minato opened the drawer to slid them in, but blinked as several photographs slipped out from the pile and clattered in the drawer. He frowned as he saw on the back of each were time and dates for when they were taken. Likely it was for surveilance given the distance between the camera and the subjects. He read through them in order, the first making him bite his lip. 

Kira's hair was dyed black and his whisker marks were covered up, likely with powder, but he'd recongize those orange eyes anywhere. His son was being carried around on the shoulders of an orange-haired man with brown eyes that had a small smile on his face as his head was tilted back to look at Kira. They appeared to be in a civilian populated village, as the people milling around in the background all wore simple clothes and were too relaxed.

_Is this the kidnapper?_ Minato wondered, but was frustrated to find that he couldn't spot a Tanigakure hitai-ate on the man. The rest of the photos showed they were still in the same location due to the same shop being in several of the shots, but even as the man in the pictures talked to people-the more promenent ones being a pale, red-haired man with his bangs covering his eyes and an amber-eyed woman with blue hair tied into a bun that had a flower nestled in it-Minato couldn't stop looking at Kira's face.

His son looked happy, and in each subsequent picture his gut churned. Kira was smiling, laughing, being so content as the orange-haired man carried him around. It didn't make him feel any less ill-at-ease since the man would look just as fondly back at Kira. It reminded Minato of the way Kushina would look at Kira. _The kidnapper had to be trying to get Kira to have Stockholm syndrome; that has to be it._

The last photo stopped him cold. The orange-haired man was showing Kira an _Ame_ headband, but the alarming thing was the man glaring straight at the camera. The photographer had been made, which perhaps was why there were no more pictures afterwards.

Minato frowned. _What the hell is going on? Was Tani behind this or was it Ame?_

\----

Despite the days being warm and hot, mornings were often chilly. Which was why Kira put on his sweater as he grumpily followed Jiraiya out of the hotel. He glowered up at the man; the sun wasn't even rising yet, but the sky showed the faint shades of pink and orange chasing the inky blue away. Kira wiped the sleep from his eyes, noting the few people also awake were likely shopkeepers. He honestly couldn't see anyone getting up early because they _wanted_ too.

"Where are we going?" Kira asked.

"There's a river nearby we can use to start your training." Jiraiya replied. "Now pay attention, because I'm gonna only show you the handseals for the Suiton: Suijinheki once, got it?"

Kira nodded, forcing himself to memorize the way Jiraiya's hands and fingers curled around each other. _Tiger, Snake, Rat, Snake, Tiger..._ and he repeated the seals in his mind. "Okay."

"Good, now practice those handseals until we get to the river. Then you're gonna actually use it and we'll divide the difference between that 'before' and the 'after' with Kyuubi's chakra." The man explained.

Kira sighed, butterflies appearing in his stomach that managed to chase away his tiredness. He focused on carefully making the handseals he saw, wincing each time he got one of them mixed up or the sequence wrong. He'd only ever done the seals for the summoning technique, and had been a bit nervous after the disaster it caused. 

When they walked into the forest and came across the slowly drifting river, Jiraiya gave Kira a push towards it. The boy sighed again as he kicked off his sandals and set his backpack down, carefully stepping into the water and was more than relieved the shallow end only came up to his ankles. The river itself wasn't very big, with the distance perhaps only fifteen feet wide, but he wasn't about to test how deep it was.

"Suiton: Suijinheki!" Kira cried out as he did the tiger sign, but his eye twitched as the water around him only gave the barest ripple against the current to show it worked. "I don't get it, water's my affinity, even with my poor chakra control shouldn't it be easier?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "Kid, even with that it's not going to be easy. Well, let me rephrase that; having a water affinity _helps_ , but it won't make you an instant expert. The fact you got the water to move at all with your poor control is something I wasn't expecting at all."

Kira scowled. "You thought I would fail?"

"Yeah, because you're a kid with massive chakra reserves and that makes it harder." Jiraiya retorted. "Now get out of there and sit down-it's time to try for an 'after'."

Kira grumbled to himself as he sat on the grass, crossing his legs as he closed his eyes. Nerves made him stiffen up, but he concentrated on getting the jutsu right. He listened to the sounds of the water currents, of the trees leaves rustleling and not on the distinct lack of animal sounds around them.

His gut twisted, and Kira tentatively opened one eye, it causing both to fly wide open as he found himself sitting once more before several bars and the word 'seal' inscribed on a piece of paper over the front. Kira swallowed thickly when two red eyes peered down at him, lips pulled back into a terrifying grin that revealed rows of sharp teeth. The boy scurried back, and the fox sneered at him.

**"So my disappointment has come to see me. Why don't you come closer so I can get a better look at you?"**

Kira got to his feet, trembling as he hugged himself. "I-I-I'll stay where I am."

The red eyes narrowed. **"Look at you, shaking like a newborn fawn.** " It snorted derisively. **"Pathetic, just like your attempt to learn ninjutsu.** " It's eyes gained a sly glint when Kira stiffened. **"That's right, I saw your so-called 'water wall'.** " It growled low in its throat. " **And I know why you're here. The answer is no, I'm not giving you my chakra."**

Kira bit his lip, but he gathered what little resolve that hadn't turned into fear and glared up at the fox. "I'm your host, s-so you _have_ to do what I say."

It sneered again. **"I don't _have_ to do anything. I'm not going to coddle you like that blond moron does."**

Kira stiffened up, muscles tense as his fists clenched. "Otou-san isn't a moron! And if you hate him so much why did your other half give him it's chakra when he came to save me from Sen?"

**"It was a fluke, that idiot got lucky."** It said dismissively before giving him a narrow-eyed glare. " **There won't be any of that here with you though. You can barely handle your own chakra-the chakra that _I_ so graciously gifted you with-and you dare to come here and demand _more_ from me?"**

Kira began to get riled up, as every word Kyuubi said made him angrier. "The only thing you gave me were the marks for people who saw me to hate me! My chakra came from Chichi-ue, you're just the-the-the _parasite_ that ruined everything, 'ttebaro!"

The fox stared down at him, it's form stiff before it explosively shot forward, head smashing against the bars as its long forearms tried to claw out at Kira, who screamed and backpedaled until his back hit the wall. The fox snarled at him, tails waving furiously behind it. **"Parasite? _Parasite?_ You ungrateful brat! Do you have any idea who you’re talking too?! I am the great Kyuubi no Kitsune, the strongest bijuu alive and the living embodiment of hatred and malice; _I_ gave you life, you should be thanking me for without me you wouldn't exist! And if this damn cage weren't in my way I'd show you just how easily I'd take it back!"**

Kira choked as the air was thick with the oppressive intent of hatred and anger, and he couldn't stop the tears from streaming down his face. He covered himself with his arms and sobbed. _I can't do this. I can't do this-I wanna wake up!_

" **Quit your snivelling!** " It roared. **"Every little time things get hard you start to sob and wail like a kit. Why were my siblings and I cursed to have children who are our opposite in every way?"**

Kira's chest tightened as the hate was almost suffocating. His breaths became shallow as he gasped for air, hands gripping his hair tightly. _I don't want to be scared, I wanna be brave like-like-_ an image of Kushina flashed in his eyes, and his gaze teared up further. Thinking of her hurt, like a wound that had been re-opened, but with it came the rush of love and affection he knew she always held for him, and it brought to mind Jiraiya's words from yesterday.

It's what gave Kira the courage to find his voice. "Shut up!" he shouted, and the fox glared at him. "I don't know why Chichi-ue would seal you inside of me, but even then I know she cared about me more than _you_ ever could!"

The mindscape became unnerving quiet as the fox's voice became a menacing whisper, **"What did you just say? I gave you-"**

"That doesn't mean anything." Kira cut it off boldly, fists clenched tightly. "Otou-san didn't give me life and _he_ loves me more than you could. So you know what? Call yourself my father all you want, but nothing you say will ever make it true-you didn't raise me, you don't take care of me, and you don't love me! You said it yourself; you’re hate, so how could you ever love someone?"

The tail end of his shout echoed around the room, trailing off as things were blanketed in silence. 

Kira's heart beat frantically as the fox only continued to glare coldly at him, and his breath hitched as it abruptly turned, lying on its front and looked away from him. 

" **Get out, I'm through talking to you."**

Kira was about to retort, but froze as in an instant he found himself shoved forcibly back into the real world. It spun and he fell onto his back, eyes squinting against the sunlight peeking over the horizon that lit up the sky. His gaze slid to Jiraiya, who looked more anxious than he'd probably admit. "What happened?"

"I should be asking you that." Jiraiya retorted. "I thought for a second something went wrong when I could feel the fox's chakra begin bubbling around you before it just stopped. I take it things didn't go so well?"

"Very not well." Kira replied morosely. "I don't think I can use it's chakra just yet."

"Well get up then, you've still got your own." Jiraiya stated, and Kira blinked. "What, you think we're just throwing in the towel? That's quitter talk! When you fall down, you get back up and figure out a way to get it right. We're shinobi, and shinobi are meant to endure."

Kira smiled faintly, and he stumbled to his feet. "Tha-that's right, you're right." 

Even if the fox wouldn't give up its chakra, Kira still had his own. And if nothing else, he wasn't going to make this trip be a waste.


	11. Stranger Danger

_Spending years sneaking out of the village, Minato knew the route by heart. It was a small hatch that only a child could conceivably fit through, one which the blond ten-year-old was aware he couldn’t in soon. Both because he would be too tall, and that he couldn’t do this anymore without knowingly being a liability. Which meant caving the hatch in when he got back._

_Minato would be graduating the next day. He needed to say goodbye, at the very least. He just wondered who that bitter old man would wheedle before he finally keeled over now though. Minato sighed to himself, wondering why he himself kept coming back, ever since that day he saw the old man walking through the forest when he was six._

I don’t need him anymore _, Minato thought. He only came back and followed the old man out of some misplaced need – for what, Minato still didn’t know, just that_ now _Minato’s new chapter started. When he graduated, a whole new life awaited him. A team, a sensei, an apartment of his own, and a new chance to prove himself to Kushina._

_Sachiko didn’t think he needed to be so blunt, but Minato only looked at her askance because she somehow managed to get her foot in the door by sharing her lunch with Kushina. Minato tried to do the same, but Kushina only looked at him suspiciously._

_Minato sighed again, but after walking the well-worn trail, he finally made it to his destination. It was a shabby wooden cabin, ill-kept outside with only the weeds Minato picked not tarnishing the sides. He walked inside, where it was a different story. The floor was clean, windows clean, and Minato’s arms ached in remembrance when he spotted the cooking pot. Food had gotten stuck to the bottom, and it took longer for him to scrub. ._

_The old man sat at the table, hunched over. He looked even more frail-looking in the intervening years with his hair having gone stark white, but always sneered at Minato’s suggestion he stay permanently in the town nearby. His gaze had always remained sharp, and the unhidden eye narrowed at Minato. “You’re here early.”_

_Minato breathed in deep. Somehow, that statement seemed more aware than it had any right to be. It made Minato equal parts curious and irritated at how the old man always seemed to implicitly know what went on. “That’s right, I’m graduating tomorrow.” He never said what or where it was from; there were things they never told each other, even now._

_“This is the end then, Jun.” The old man’s mouth curled up, but it was too bitter to ever be called a smile._

_Minato didn’t even roll his eyes anymore, the old man never caring to learn his name after calling him an idiot for giving away his surname. Anyway, whenever Minato did try to give his name, the old man always said “I don’t care.” Well, it wasn’t like Minato didn’t have his own petty nickname. “I guess, Ojii-san.”_

_The old man’s not-smile dropped into a scowl. Had Minato been closer, he likely would have gotten a whack on the ankle from the man’s walking stick. “One last trip then.”_

_“Where?”_

_“You’ll know when we get there.”_

_“Vague as ever.”_

\-------

It was an odd conclusion Kira came to, but with how his limbs ached and his eyes drooped, the brunet found himself feeling _tired_ , incredibly enough. And here he thought that wasn't possible. "I feel sleepy."

"It was bound to happen eventually, even your massive natural reserves would run low at some point." Jiraiya replied. Kira watched him open the boy's carrying bag and took out a container of specially made crispy shrimp tempura. "You can take a break, don't need you fainting on me."

"I wouldn't..." Kira found himself too tired to even finish it. He settled for weakly scowling at the man as he dragged himself over and swiped the container. He sniffed, but realized it would need to be heated up. The batter on the shrimp tasted better hot. “How are we supposed to eat it?”

“You make a fire obviously.” Kira was too tired to even swat Jiraiya’s hand away as the man ruffled his hair; the remark did not amuse him. Kira’s ears caught the sounds of feminine giggling down the stream, and he grimaced as the white-haired man grinned.

“You’ll be fine by yourself for a little while, right?” he asked, but didn’t wait for an answer as he began sprinting towards the sound. “Try not to burn anything down!”

Kira stared down at the container, and then incredulously after Jiraiya as he couldn’t believe the man just left him. Well, he could believe it. The brunet sighed and stretched out his arms out before getting back to his feet. Kira looked around for stray materials and rocks to form the base. He grumbled to himself as his limbs protested.

Kira tried to rub twigs together, but found it wouldn’t even spark. He petulantly threw them to the ground, and stomped back into the shallow water, doing the hand seals now ingrained into his brain. “Suiton: Suijinheki!”

The water rippled, but did nothing else.

Kira crabbily kicked, splashing the water. “What am I doing wrong?”

“Nothing, actually.” Kira jumped at the voice, spinning around so fast he slipped on the mud and landed on his backside. His gaze though was locked onto the figure wearing a gray cloak with the hood pulled up. Their face was obscured by a fox mask that looked like one the ANBU wore, with strands of orange hair falling over the top, and two light blue eyes visible through the slits to see through. “You’re doing as well as you can be expected to.”

Kira frowned as he got to his feet, gaze levelled suspiciously at the man. “Otou-san said I wouldn’t have a guard this far out.”

The man shrugged. “Can you blame him? Jiraiya-sama was supposed to be watching you, and he left.”

Kira crossed his arms, but couldn’t find fault in the man’s words. “Why are you here, like, where I can see you, Kitsune-san?”

The man chuckled faintly. “He left.” He repeated simply. Kitsune leaned against the tree branch he was sitting on. “You know, it would probably help to eat something.”

Kira looked at the container, and hunched his shoulders. “I can’t start a fire.” He muttered.

Kitsune tilted his head, and jumped down from the tree. Kira stiffened up on instinct, but the man knelt beside the fire pit instead. “Hmm, excellent job.” He said inspecting the pit, and Kira unwound as the praise caught him off-guard. “Though if you’re so eager to eat, I can show you a fire jutsu. Kindling by hand can get irritating pretty quick.”

Kira bit his lip. “Okay.” He replied, because even with his self-imposed rejection of using fire techniques, he still needed at least one for everyday things.

Kitsune nodded as he lifted his mask just over the mouth, and held his hands in the tiger hand seal before spitting a stream of fire at the pit. Kira tried to catch a look at his face, but the mask came back down before the boy could see anything.

The fire kicked in, swelling with the kindling already in place. Kira scooted closer, the warmth of it chasing away the coldness still in the air. “Can I try?” he asked, reluctant as he was.

Kitsune nodded, and Kira stiffened as the man grabbed his hands. They were molded to fit the tiger seal. “Hold this, and say ‘Katon: Karyūdan.”

Kira nodded, and turned to the fire before concentrating on his chakra. “Katon: Karyūdan!” he shouted. An intense burning tore through his throat, and Kira hacked as nothing but smoke blew out his mouth. Breaking the hand seal, Kira hurried back to the water and pulled the goggles down over his eyes before shoving his face into the river. He let the water cool his throat before spitting it out in disgust.

The boy grimaced, and glared at Kitsune through blurry lenses. The man only shrugged. “Didn’t think it’d be that easy, did you?”

Kira groaned as he flopped on the river’s edge, hand absently swishing along the top of the water. The sight of a fish caught his attention; it was bigger than a minnow, but not by much. It nibbled on his finger, and Kira was unsurprised. _Even fish hate me,_ he thought, and flicked the fish away.

_“Come on, Kagayaki, that’s not how you fish. How many times do I have to tell you that?”_

Kira stiffened, and he looked back at Kitsune. “What did you just call me?”

Kitsune tilted his head. “Call you? I haven’t said anything.” The brunet frowned to himself, and the man leaned forward. “Is there something wrong?”

“I thought…” Kira bit his lip. “I could have sworn you just said something. It was a voice that sounded just like yours.”

Kitsune stared at him, his frame having gone still. “Is that so?” he asked softly. “If you’re having trouble concentrating, perhaps meditation could help you.”

Kira pouted. “I already did that and it didn’t work.”

“For some things it probably can’t,” Kitsune said easily, “but others it can work wonders. It will let you clear your mind, at the very least.” He sat on the balls of his feet, hands planted on his knees and tilted his head the other way. “I can’t imagine how stressful things must be for you.”

Kira relaxed slightly, and he sat up before crossing his legs. He pushed the goggles back to his hairline. Meditating still sounded a bit odd, given his disastrous last attempt. “Alright, I’ll try again.” This time, he wasn’t looking for Kyuubi’s power, so maybe it would be different?

Kitsune clapped his hands together. “Great! Now, focus on that voice, think of just that as you look for it.”

Kira closed his eyes, and for the first time, focusing on a memory didn’t hurt. There was no heartache, or pain as he recalled the voice that sprung up. It was hard to recall though, as unlike the memory block, this voice belonged to a memory too far back to recall clearly…

_…Sitting by a river, watching the fish go by. His small hand splashing on the surface as he caught sight of his reflection on the water; a face and eyes his own but his whiskers covered and his hair black._

_“Come on, Kagayaki, that’s not how you fish. How many times do I have to tell you that?”_

_He tilted his head at the name. It wasn’t his name, but it was one they used in public. He dismissed the fishing poll beside him as he looked further along the bank…_

Kira frowned as he opened his eyes. His chest ached, but he didn’t understand why he would be sad. “I saw someone, we were fishing and I tried to catch one with my hands.” Kitsune snickered, and Kira crossed his arms. “There was a man with me, or an older kid? I’m not sure, it was hard to tell his age. I just saw he had brown eyes and orange hair. He still sounded like you though.”

“I see.” Kitsune’s voice had grew quiet, and he glanced away for a moment. “Hmm, this is very interesting, wouldn’t you agree? Why can you only remember this now? Don’t you think it’s odd your parents wouldn’t mention it, if this person meant so much to you?”

Kira’s stomach dropped as he realized what the man was saying. “My parents wouldn’t keep things from me. They love me.”

Kitsune seemed to gaze at him intensely. “People can do terrible things for someone they love.”

Kira’s eyes widened, and he shook his head. “No, not my otou-san!”

Like a switch, Kitsune held up his hands. “I’m not talking about anyone in specific, just pointing it out. I’m sure your dad’s a wonderful person.” He drawled. Kira narrowed his eyes at him, and Kitsune tilted his head again. “How about I make it up to you? If you really wanna get your water wall – I think your problem is probably with your chakra pathways.”

Kira stared at him suspiciously. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Kitsune nodded, “I can help with that. Let me make it up to you – I’ve been studying seals. You like seals?”

Kira nodded a bit hesitantly, feeling slightly dazed by the rapid change in topics. The man had every chance to attack him so far, even while meditating, but he hadn’t. “What kind can help me?”

“It’s not about _adding_ a seal, it’s taking one away.” Kitsune said seriously. “You have one too many. I understand your Jinchuuriki ones must stay, but are the other ones necessary?”

Kira frowned. “Those are so Otou-san can find me if I’m in trouble.”

Kitsune waved it off. “If he’s really such a great sensor, why wouldn’t he be able to find you anyway?” he reached out, and Kira flinched as the man’s hand wrapped around his arm. He didn’t do anything though, and Kira stared at him. “I won’t hurt you, I’d _never_ hurt you, obocchama.”

Kira’s frame relaxed as the familiar term calmed him. “You’re probably one of the only ANBU that would mean it enough to say it.” He whispered. The man didn’t reply as he pulled up the boy’s sleeve, and Kira watched as he felt a strange sensation in his arm before the Hiraishin and the locator seal both appeared in overlapping layers.

He couldn’t remember the original seal Kushina put on him, and he couldn’t remember these ones either. They’d just always been there.

Kitsune traced over the patterns, and pressed his hand down on the seals. Kira winced from the pressure, but it wasn’t painful. The brunet felt his gut tighten, and he breathed in deep as his chakra felt like it was being pulled to his arm. Kira’s eyes widened as he saw wisps of red chakra leaking out from under the man’s palm, and when he pulled away, the two seals faded from his skin as though they’d never been there.

“That’s…Otou-san always told me the Hiraishin couldn’t be removed.” Kira said.

Kitsune tilted his head down, his voice so low Kira almost didn’t catch what he said, “No seal is perfect,” his tone turned stern. “Now try your suiton again.”

\-----

_Minato couldn’t think he hated trees more than seeing nothing but that, given he and the old man were walking for hours. At first, he thought they were going to Tonika Village, but no, they walked right past the trail to that town and kept going. Minato glanced up at the sky through the canopy of trees, the sun moving steadily across the sky. It was likely early afternoon by now. “How much further, Ojii-san?”_

_Minato had been expecting the whack to the ankle, so he stepped to the side, but he flinched as the end of the cane flicked his wrist. The blond rubbed the reddening skin, glowering at him._

_“We’ll get there in time, Jun.”_

_Minato rolled his eyes. His gaze landed on a tree branch, where two birds were nesting together. He smiled slightly. Sachiko liked animals, but he’d notice lately that animals appeared to act downright vicious to Kushina. He smiled faintly as he thought of her, and her striking red hair._

_The old man narrowed his eye, and Minato winced as his ankle was struck. “Keep up.”_

_“What was that for? I didn’t even say anything.” Minato said._

_“You were thinking of those_ girls _again, weren’t you? The chit and the foreigner.” The old man said crudely._

_Minato tried to keep the scowl off his lips, but his mouth formed one as he glared at the old man. “Will you stop calling them that?”_

_“They’re a distraction,_ bonds _are a distraction.” The old man muttered, scowling down at the ground, gnarled hands tightening on his walking stick. “The more you trust, the more_ friends _you have, the more blind you become. This world is rotten, and it will only tear you down until you are nothing but a shell.”_

_Minato’s eyes used to glaze over each time the old man got into one of his rants. He got his lesson, had even agreed in the beginning. Now though…Minato couldn’t stay silent. He had people he cared for, and realized how bleak the spouted worldview truly was._

_“It can’t all be bad.”_

_The old man glared down at him. “One day, you will lose everything you care for – and that is when you will truly learn.”_

_Minato gritted his teeth, but he couldn’t think of a retort. Not when the words, the tone, sounded so certain._

_And he hated that in trying to break away, he still found himself being pulled in._

\-------

_He murdered our daughter._

_He shouldn’t have been born at all._

_That thing would be better off gone! If not dead, then out of the village._

_Now that thing will never plague Konoha again!_

Minato tried to get the words out of his head, but the interrogation report of both Etsuko and Kazuo was still haunting him. He couldn’t believe that they managed to hide their hatred, fooling everyone so well for all these years. Minato felt like a fool, never thinking to ask why Sachiko had cut off ties with her parents, or why Rin wanted to live with them. _I was trying to believe the best, but I blinded myself from the truth._

The blond wasn’t ignorant to the workings of the world, but the rough patch from his young age had turned him into person who tried to look beyond the bad at a silver lining. If he were honest with himself, were he still that person, things would be much worse. Still the person the old man tried to make him.

_He kept calling me a fool, that I changed too much and it would screw me over,_ Minato thought morosely, _but he just wanted someone as bitter as himself around._

The blond shook his head, and came upon the compound where Sen was kept. He opened the hatch which led into the underground laboratory. He glanced back at Iwashi, who hesitated in going further. “I can handle this by myself.”

Iwashi looked relieved, but his expression became reserved. “Hai, Hokage-sama.”

Minato nodded absently, and walked down the steps. When he got to the bottom of the stairs, he saw that it was only Orochimaru with no Anko in sight. “Orochimaru-sama, how is Sen today?”

The man let out his strange hiss-like laugh. “Oh, he’s still being a stubborn and fascinating specimen.”

“I can imagine.” Minato replied, and stepped carefully into the room Sen was kept in. He looked down at the man in a new light, with all the information he’d learned. Sen didn’t look at him, frowning at the floor. In fact, if Minato didn’t see very how very briefly Sen tilted his head, Minato would assume Sen hadn’t heard him.

Silence reigned through the room, and finally Sen looked up at him, and Minato felt the flush of anger at merely seeing him.

“Hello,” Sen drawled, “do I call you Hokage or can I call you Minato? I feel like if this is going to be a regular thing, we should establish what this is.”

“You won’t be calling me anything.” Minato said coldly. “I am going to ask the questions, and you will answer.”

Sen tilted his head, showing off a new scar along his ear that led down past his collar. “And what questions will those be? I doubt I can give you anything that you can’t get from Snakey out there.”

“About your body, perhaps.” Minato said coolly. “I know the things you won’t break on, will you? I know what you are.”

Sen stared at him, but abruptly let out a harsh, loud cackle. “Are you serious?” he snickered, his whole body shifting with it. “What? Did you forget that we’ve already established that I’m a half-demon? Every time we see each other you just get more foolish; are you really the most competent ninja this village has, or just the prettiest?”

Minato made sure not to react, to not give this jackass any satisfaction of his words getting to him. “I don’t much like Kumogakure,” he said calmly, “for several reasons, but now I can add the fact _you_ lived there as another.”

Sen’s forming smile turned into a scowl. “Oh shove it, there’s nothing else you can say that will get-”

“Is the reason you’re obsessed with Kira because your mother was the Nibi Jinchuuriki?”

Sen’s expression was in a single moment, completely stunned. His eyes were wide, face sallow and paling further, his jaw slackening. Despite whatever training Kumo put him through, they didn’t drill in keeping his emotions off the table well enough.

The shock quickly gave way to fury, and the gray in Sen’s eyes bled red. “You- _ahhh!_ ” he shrieked, struggling as electricity ran along his body and his eyes turned gray again. His shoulders and chest heaved, breathing heavy as Sen glared at Minato. “You…have no…grounds here.”

“Your reaction is answer enough.” Minato said. “And…” he paused, because this was too close for him too, “it’s not easy to believe a Jinchuuriki would be allowed to bear children.”

Sen sneered. “Are you really so naïve to think villages don’t want stronger weapons?” his eyes narrowed. “Do you know how many half-demons there really are out there?”

Minato closed his eyes. It was at the back of his mind, the thought even when Kira was born if there could be others like him. “Even if I asked, you wouldn’t answer.” He said finally. “I can assume that with nine bijuu, and all the years the hidden villages had them, with taking in the dangerous situation putting the Jinchuuriki in…I can’t imagine it would be many.”

“How deductive.” Sen drawled. He smirked, starting to look like his irritating self again.

Minato had enough. He knew what he needed to know now. He walked out of the room, and stepped up beside Orochimaru. “I hope you haven’t been letting your apprentice watch you working with our guest.”

“Nothing too graphic.” The Sannin replied. “Or hearing anything she shouldn’t.”

Minato nodded. “Keep her out until you’re done with these instructions: Sen knows there are other half-demons out there. I want to know if they are with any of the hidden villages, and how much of a threat they could be to Konoha.”

“To capture that boy like this one had?” Orochimaru questioned.

Minato bit the inside of his cheek to keep his expression neutral. “Yes,” he said calmly, “like Sen tried to kidnap Kira.”

“Well, it will be interesting to know just how many other half-demons exist.” The other man said idly.

“Just report in when you’ve got everything you can out of Sen.” Minato replied, and made his way back to the stairs. He heard Orochimaru going back into Sen’s room, and Minato heard the click of the door just as the blond shut the hatch behind him.

Iwashi watched him carefully. “Where to now, Hokage-sama?”

Minato glanced at him, and smiled gently. “Back to the office.”

\-------

Glancing back at Kitsune, Kira found the man sitting by the fire as he held the tempura sticks by the fire. The smell of the spices and shrimp made Kira’s stomach growl and his mouth water. Kitsune held up a stick. “You want one? Get that wall going, obocchama.”

Kira glowered at the man, but warily stepped back into the water, hands going through the seals. “Suiton: Suijinheki!”

Like before, nothing more than a ripple happened.

“Hey, you said my pathways were blocked and it would help!” Kira said indignantly.

Kitsune shrugged. “You’re probably hungry.”

Kira grumbled as he dragged himself back out of the water. He could have said _that_. The brunet sat by the fire, and picked up one of the tempura sticks. “I can’t believe ero-oji just left me here. Any time a pretty lady is around he gets so weird.”

Kitsune tilted his head. “It doesn’t sound very responsible, I’ll admit. What kind of person does that? No, what kind of person _lets_ someone like that around you?”

Kira frowned, his eyes narrowed. “For an ANBU you’re pushing it. Isn’t talking like that about the Hokage trea-something?”

“Treason? I’d never!” Kitsune said placing his hand on his chest. “I’m just doing what’s best for everyone.”

Kira’s brow furrowed as he took a bite of the shrimp. Confusion coursed through him. This man wasn’t making sense. “And what’s that?”

Kitsune leaned over, slipping into a contemplative pose as his hands clasped. Kira’s stomach churned as he realized too late why it looked familiar. “Nehan Shōja no Jutsu.”

Kira stared around as instead of fire, _feathers_ began falling around him. They landed on his head, lap, shoulder, and his eyes began to droop shut. Kira whined as he reached for his arm, but terror struck him as he realized too late there was no seal anymore. _How’s…how’s Otou-san supposed to find me?_

It was the last thought he had, before falling back, losing consciousness as Kitsune caught him.

\--------

_Kira whimpered, rubbing his red rimmed eyes as he felt too tired from crying. He stopped sobbing, because the bad men that his mean grandparents gave him too, didn’t like him. He was curled up on the sack he was carried in, hugging himself as he stared into the fire the men made. They were talking over him, ignoring him as they spoke about things Kira didn’t understand._

_Kira rolled over, ears twitching as he could hear rushing water. There must have been a big pond nearby. The two-year-old rolled again, and when no one looked he got to his feet and stumbled as he didn’t stop running._

_“Hey, our weapon’s taking off!”_

_“Shit! Who didn’t tie the damn kid up!”_

_Kira shrieked as something sharp cut into his ankle. He stumbled, but grabbed a tree root and pulled himself despite the pain. He stared back, and a red liquid seeped down his ankle onto the grass. A thin, clear string ran from around his foot to one of the ninja with the funny headbands._

_The lead bad man stormed up to him, face thunderous as he reached down and shook the two-year-old. The brunet wailed, his insides whirling. “Be quiet! The first thing we’re doing when we get back to Tani is show this brat what he can really cry over.” Kira yelped as he was roughly shoved at another ninja. “Now tie him up and make sure he stays quiet.”_

_“How?”_

_“Shake him until he stops, I don’t care!”_

_A piece of paper, like an explosive tag, fluttered down from the sky. Its kanji glowed briefly, and everyone was blown back by a huge gust of wind that exploded out of the tag. Kira was thrown out of the ninja’s arms, but felt two others grab him, clutching him tightly before he was carried off._

_Kira heard the ninja gaining their bearings, and sniffled. A softer voice shushed him, but Kira shook his head. “Kira hurt.”_

_“I saw, but we can’t get out of here if you don’t be quiet.” The voice said quietly, gentle but firm._

_Kira hugged himself, and shook as he listened to the sounds of agitated and angry ninja went the other way. He finally peered up, but was not reassured. The face which stared down at him was composed, cold even. “Kira wanna go hoooome.” He whined._

_The cold expression shifted, brown eyes blinking. An orange eyebrow rose, and the tone was a tad reproachful. “That’s a fine way to say thank you.” The eyes narrowed. “How old are you?” Kira hesitated, unable to understand the question. “I see, not old enough to count, huh. Probably also weren’t with those Tani shinobi by choice then.”_

_“Home.” Kira repeated. “Kira want home. Want Chichi and Nii-san, and other nii-sans and nee-chan.”_

_The man frowned, but it seemed to be at something than the words. Kira stiffened when the man touched his cheek, and wiped away the powder the bad men used to cover his whisker markings. “Kira...whiskers…orange eyes,” Kira’s shoulder tensed as the man lifted his bangs, and peered at his roots, “hmm.” The man glanced into the distance, before tilting his head. “Uzumaki Kira?”_

_Kira’s heart picked up, and he nodded. “Chichi want Kira back?” he asked hopefully, because Kushina had been gone longer than Minato had._

_Something dark flashed in the man’s eyes, but then his expression softened. “Not exactly. How would you like to meet another Uzumaki?”_

_Kira tilted his head this time. “Uza-muki?” he asked. He recognized the name at least. “Yeah, yeah!”_

_“Then we got to get there, so pipe down.” The man said, and looked around cautiously before starting to pick up the pace. “Name’s Yahiko, by the way.”_

_“Kirakira!”_

_“I figured.”_

\-------

Thud after thud rang out, and Itachi let out several breaths as he surveyed the targets he managed to hit – and the one he still missed. He frowned to himself. This wouldn’t do. He needed to be strong, get stronger.

“Itachi-kun!” His mother called, her voice just beyond the forest. “Get inside, breakfast is ready!”

The boy contemplated pretending that he hadn’t heard the call, but decided it wouldn’t be worth getting a verbal lashing such as the one Mikoto had given him the previous night. Itachi gathered up the kunai, and gave a hard stare at the one which had gotten buried in the tree than the target beyond it.

He trekked back to the house, and set his kunai outside before walking into the house and sliding off his shoes. Entering the dining room, Sasuke was sitting in a high chair and unusually interested in his bowl, while Mikoto set a plate of okonomiyaki in front of Itachi. His mother retook her own seat, and went back to a list before her.

“What is that?” he asked.

Mikoto hummed briefly. “Just a…little experiment.” She replied.

Itachi glanced at the list, and furrowed his brow at what were names, and Minato’s name at the top and underlined, with other names crossed out. “Names of our kin?”

His mother smiled. “I understand Minato-kun has been adamant of never wanting to pursue a relationship, but…” she tapped the notepad with her pen. “It never hurts to be prepared.”

_Prepared for what?_ The answer should have been clear though. It was something Itachi read out of a history book about the clan; how the Namikaze were a cousin clan that lived with the Uchiha, but had scattered shortly after Konohagakure was founded. _To reintegrate Minato-sama back into the clan._ Despite training to be a ninja, and all the unpleasantness he was aware of and would someday come to know – the fact his mother was willing to be so underhanded unsettled him. “He’s your friend.” His voice was carefully flat, keeping no judgement despite his true feelings.

Mikoto’s smile never faded or strained. “He’s also our kin, and there have been instances in which,” she brushed her hair from her face, eyes gazing to the ceiling, “it would be best for Minato-kun and his family to be a part of ours again.”

_He wasn’t before though._ Itachi kept that to himself, and instead pointed out the immediate other problems. “Everyone’s suspicious of the Uchiha, no one really acknowledges Minato-sama being a part of this clan, and Kira-sama wouldn’t be welcomed here either.”

Mikoto sighed lightly, closing her eyes as she shook her head. “I forget almost just how exasperating you’re getting.” She said coolly. “Fugaku was able to get the other Uchiha to leave Hatake alone, he can do the same to make them leave Kira-kun alone.” A smile began to curve her lips upward, a twinkle in her eyes appearing. “And perhaps eventually, Minato-kun wouldn’t object to re-integrating if his son were to as well.”

Itachi narrowed his eyes. “Naruto-kun?”

Mikoto scoffed. “He’s just a baby, I’m talking about Kira-kun; he’s the hurdle here. Though perhaps that obstacle could be taken down if what Minato said about Kira having a crush on Shisui-kun is true.”

Itachi looked down at his pancake, absently picking at the vegetables cooked into it. _Kira-sama and Shisui-kun?_ It was an odd thing to believe, but there was no one more oblivious to it as Kira himself was. In fact, Itachi would hazard a guess that anyone who saw Kira look at Shisui would think it were obvious as well.

Though on a deeper level, Itachi didn’t approve; Kira didn’t need to look like those star-struck kids in their class who were more concerned with inane things like _crushes_. And Shisui…he’d better continue acting like he didn’t notice.

“You want them to marry?” Because if he was going to stop this, Itachi wanted details. “Politically?”

Mikoto rested her cheek on her palm. “I doubt Minato-kun would ever subject his children to an arranged marriage.” She sighed softly. “He’s just like his own parents; my aunt went to Minato-kun’s parents to try and arrange something, but they rejected the offer.”

Itachi’s gut twisted as he kept his face blank. He forced himself to eat, despite the resistance of his churning stomach. The admission made him question just whether it had been coincidence or not on whether Minato and Mikoto were placed on the same genin team.

Mikoto leaned forward, her smile widening and her eyes soft. “Wouldn’t it be nice, calling Kira-kun family? You’d help mother get them together, wouldn’t you?”

Itachi didn’t like the thought of going against his mother, but this plan was too deceitful. “Yes, Okaa-san.”

“Good, now finish your breakfast and get ready for school.”

\--------

Making his way through the forest, the feminine giggles luring him further into the forest. _Oh, they have to stop at some point._ Jiraiya paused as he heard the giggles came from the right, and grinned perversely before hurrying up, splashing water carrying him on.

The white-haired man crouched behind a bush, and peered through it. He expected someone to fit the bubbly, cheerful giggling – what he saw instead made his jaw drop. There was no sexy woman splashing in the water, instead just a-a _fox_. An orange-brown fox that was splashing in the river, trying to catch a fish.

Then it yipped, and the sound which came out was a _womanly giggle_.

With a growing dread, Jiraiya immediately held his hands into a seal. “Kai!” The fox yipped, startled, and it sounded as animalistic as it was supposed to. “Damn it all, how could I have-” he stopped, watching as the fox ran off, and Jiraiya’s eyes narrowed. _What was the point-Kira!_

Without a second thought, Jiraiya ran back to the campsite. He looked wildly about, from the river, to the firepit and abandoned tempura, and the backpack lying on the ground. There was no sign of a brown-haired child anywhere. “Kira!” he called. “You’d better not be around screwing with me!”

When there was no reply forthcoming, Jiraiya cursed. What was he going to tell Minato? He narrowed his eyes; did he need to? If the kid was in real danger, he had an instant summon with the Hiraishin seal and letting Minato tear Jiraiya a new one. The white-haired man’s nostrils flared, and he closed his eyes in contemplation. _What Minato doesn’t know won’t hurt him._

Nodding to himself, Jiraiya bit his thumb, and summoned a toad. “No time to chat, we got a lost pipsqueak to find.”

\-------

Kira blinked, opening his eyes as he heard dripping water nearby. He groaned, feeling the water under him, and he rolled over to stare at the ceiling. Of course, why was he surprised to be back in this place? He looked to the side, and saw two red eyes glaring at him beyond the shadowed inside of the cage.

**“Have you come to grovel, little fool?”**

Kira frowned, and sat up before pulling his knees up. He turned away, and ignored the fox. _Don’t listen to it, don’t give it what it wants._

The fox growled low in its throat. **“You have no idea what I want.”**

Kira didn’t believe that for a second. _I have to get out of here, I have to wake up, I have to get away._ His gut churned. _I don’t even know who kidnapped me, why did he do it?_

Soft footsteps padded behind him, swishing of tails as the Kyuubi’s voice seemed closer, and Kira looked back just to make sure the bars were up. The side of the fox’s mouth curled up into a dark grin. **“Kitsune no Ko.”**

Kira’s entire being froze, eyes wide as he stared up at the fox. He knew what the words mean, words which shook him to the core. It was not something he’d heard the villagers say, because to them being called a ‘fox child’ wasn’t insulting _enough_. “Don’t call me that.”

Kyuubi leaned down, being more on eye-level, and Kira could see himself reflected in those red irises. **“Kitsune no Ko. It’s because you’re that this has happened.”**

Kira frowned, and only turned around because his neck was starting to hurt. Not because he wanted to hear it. “Why are you telling me this? Is this just so you can eat me like you didn’t this morning?” There was a reason he kept even further back, not having forgotten the arms that tried to grab him through the bars.

The fox’s ears pinned back, its grin more of a sneer. **“Oh, I haven’t, little fool. It burns me to not teach you some respect, but right now my disdain for your poor manners outweighs you being held captive by some deeply unhinged people.”**

Kira glared at the ground. “People who just want me as a weapon.”

**“Worse, they’re cultists.”** Kyuubi said, and Kira furrowed his brow. For a moment, the fox seemed reluctant to explain, as though it were some embarrassing secret than just out of spite. **“Bijuu cultists…well, _my_ cultists to be more specific.”**

Kira stared, trying to wrap his head around the concept. His mind flashed to the fox mask and sly demeanor. Kira buried his face in his hands. _I’m such an idiot,_ he thought morosely. “So, they want to kill me.”

**“No,** ” Kyuubi said, and Kira furrowed his brow, **“they want to _protect_ you _.”_**

Kira’s eyes widened. “That-that doesn’t make any sense! Why would they-” he stopped himself, and thought of Kitsune’s words, Kyuubi’s words, and his heart leapt into his throat, constricting it. A more pressing question burned in the back of his mind. “What are they going to _do_ to me?”

The Kyuubi didn’t answer, and for once, Kira wished it had. Saying nothing, was saying more than any biting words could.

This was unknown territory now.

\-------

Itachi frowned up at the sky, walking down the path from the Academy. His mind worked to figure out a plan to stop this potential marriage, if at all a possibility in the future. Kira and Shisui were too different, playing that to stomp out Kira’s crush; he refused to call it anything else. This was just childish nonsense and Kira would get over soon enough.

“I-Itachi-kun!” The boy glanced back but didn’t stop as Izumi ran up to him, waving one hand while holding a wrapped box in the other. She fell in step with him, breathing lightly as she smiled shyly at him, her cheeks flushing. “Are you going home for lunch?”

Itachi gave her an impassive stare. “No.” he said bluntly.

Izumi jerked back, but smiled again. “Oh, do you want some of mine?” she held out the box. “I noticed that…boy you hang around isn’t here.” Her voice strained, a flash of fear in her face, too scared to even say his name.

It was a fear Itachi didn’t care for. “His name is Kira-sama, and he is not scary.” He said plainly, and Izumi’s eyes widened.

“I-I’m not _scared_ of him.” She stuttered though, clearly a sign of a lie – or nerves. “He’s just…”

“What? Spit it out.”

“He’s _creepy_.” Izumi looked down. “I know he’s your…friend, but there’s just something creepy about him.”

Itachi frowned. He never noticed such ‘creepiness’. “What is so disturbing?” he asked, but while Izumi opened her mouth, she closed and repeated the action several times. That gave Itachi his real answer. _Sheep_ , he thought, not able to keep the disparaging thought away. “I’m not hungry.”

Izumi faltered, looking unsure of what to do next, but her shoulders tensed. “Would you mind some company though?”

_Yes,_ the boy thought. Aloud, he said, “Do you what you want.”

Izumi didn’t leave, so Itachi wasn’t sure if it was because she liked him, or just her own decision. Itachi deduced it was likely the former; she’d been obvious about it so far. It was unpleasant, seeing any reminder of the work he would have to do with Kira.

Hmm…

“Izumi-san, there is something I want to know.” Itachi said abruptly, and Izumi perked up, looking eager.

“Yes?”

“How do you get someone to stop liking you?”

Izumi’s face fell, her eyes downcast. “Am I really that obvious?”

“This is not about you, I am just looking for a way to stop a marriage.” Itachi said, a strain of annoyance in his voice. Why didn’t she see what he was talking about?

Izumi blinked, and tilted her head. Her expression became stern. “That’s not a nice thing to do, Itachi-kun. If someone wants to get married, it’s not our place to object. Do you even know this person you oppose? How would you feel if they didn’t want you to get married?”

Itachi breathed in deep, letting out the sigh. Of course, he should have known it was pointless to ask. He didn’t bother to elaborate anymore, now knowing his attempts to ask others for advice were likely to be thwarted as well. He kept walking, with Izumi in tow until he found himself passing the cemetery.

The boy paused at the gate, his eyes looking past the fence. He furrowed his brow, stepping into the graveyard as he saw faint figures in the back of the area. He grabbed Izumi’s sleeve and pulled her with him behind a tree. He ignored her blush as he looked at the figures; three: one a young woman in her mid-teens while the other two were men, a man in his late thirties and the other middle-age borderline elderly. The young woman and the man were arguing, their voices harsh and pointing at each other.

“…we can’t go back empty-handed…”

“…where else could that Uzumaki be buried?”

The old man’s voice was frigid as he spoke, “…her husband is still alive…she’s probably someone else.”

Itachi heard enough. It was clear from their furtive looks and the plan brown cloaks that they were either strangers or vandals, but they were suspicious all the same, and both options were liable to get them a swift and heavy punishment from Minato. There was a squeak beside him, a sniffling sound that made him glance at Izumi, who was wrinkling her nose after sneezing.

He’d noticed it, and wouldn’t take the chance the vandals didn’t either. “Let’s go.” He muttered.

Izumi nodded, and they both hurried to the gate entrance. There was a rustling above them, and Itachi noticed the cloaked figure before it landed in front of them. He gathered his chakra into his fist, not enough to break anything but it would be surprising.

As it turned out, Itachi received a startling surprise instead as when the figure reached for them, his fist slammed into the elbow joint – and the cloth ripped, with wood shattering on impact. Izumi’s shriek rang in Itachi’s ears, and he saw that the figure wasn’t human – beneath the ragged cloak was a wooden puppet. It’s beady glass eyes stared down at them, doll-like joints on its mouth making the jaw clack.

The foolish lapse in composure cost Itachi, and he was grabbed by the puppet’s other arm at the back of his shirt, and slammed into the ground. Itachi projected his self-loathing inward, but glared at Izumi as she stood frozen.

“Go!” Izumi jumped, and for a moment her expression shifted to one of determination. Itachi cut her off before she could be fool-hardly brave. “Don’t – alert someone!”

Izumi’s eyes shut, and she turned before sprinting out of the graveyard. Itachi watched her go until she was nothing but a blurry figure in the distance.

Until the young woman and man stepped into his vision beside the puppet, with the elder controlling it.

“From his clan symbol, I’d say we just found a fitting replacement for the Uzumaki that Sasori wanted.”

The girl nodded, and pulled a rag and bottle out from the pouch around her waist. She knelt in front of him and gave the boy a mean little smile. “Nighty night, Uchiha.”

The cloth came over Itachi’s nose, and he made the mistake of inhaling – the mix of sweet and burning filled him, turning the world hazy before he slumped over, out cold.


	12. Fox Chase

_"Look ahead boy, and tell me what you see."_

_Minato frowned as he looked ahead. He slowly scowled. "All these aching bones, and you bring me to see a_ cliff drop-off? _" he demanded. There was nothing but a river that went over the cliff to form a waterfall. They stood at the top of it, with nothing except vague outline of a small lake and trees below._

_"Aching bones?" The old man repeated mockingly. "When I was your age…"_

_Minato's eyes glazed over as he tuned out the man's ramblings. Anecdotes about the old man's past at one point were interesting, before the blond realized he never actually gave him anything concrete. A sharp knock against Minato's head broke him from his reverie, and he rubbed his temple as he glared at the old man, who gave him a much more baleful one._

_"Pay attention, Jun." he said gravelly. He jerked his chin out. "It's not the cliff that's important. Go forth, and tell me what you_ see _."_

_Minato glowered at him, but made his way to the edge of the river. The closer he got though, the more he started to frown. There was the beginnings of a statue, and his gasp slipped out. Forgetting himself, Minato ran to the ledge, leaning over with wide eyes as he gazed across the cavern, at the statue of the Shodai Hokage himself._

_"W-wow." He whispered. Minato only saw the statue in his history books, to depict the Valley of the End where Senju Hashirama had fought and defeated Uchiha Madara. Minato blinked, and with a dawning realization he looked down at the ledge he was on. The blond stepped back as he not only realized he was standing on Madara's side, but that he_ wasn't in Hi no Kuni _anymore._

_"What we you thinking, Ojii-san?" Minato asked looking at him. "I can't be here!"_

_"We're only on the opposite side of the river." The old man retorted._

_"The_ wrong _side." Minato said fiercely._

_A strange look crossed the old man's face, his features hardening, but a sardonic look appeared in his eye. "That is one way of looking at it." Minato frowned, but the man continued before he could speak, "Surely a few feet in Ta no Kuni does not make you a 'traitor'."_

_The old man's face showed mockery of the word, but Minato knew he was being patronized anyway. "That's not the point," Minato grumbled, "it's_ how did we get here? _Across the river? We never crossed a bridge. This isn't a small river."_

_"Perceptive." The old man drawled._

_Minato rolled his eyes. He could have left, but quite honestly, he had been too busy thinking of his aches than to keep track of markers._ Some genius I am, _he thought bitterly. He shook his head, only resolving to do better. "What are we doing here, anyway? You couldn't have just brought me to sight see."_

_"It would be a fitting way to part, Jun." The old man replied._

_Minato narrowed his eyes, trying to decipher the words. "Did you bring me here to kill me?" he tensed up, glaring at the man._

_"Too literal of a reading." The man muttered. "I'm talking symbolically."_

_Minato relaxed his stance, but still kept a wary eye on him. "Symbolism?" he asked, before he sighed. "Breaking ties." He muttered. "Is that why we're here? We came all this way just so you can have a handy metaphor?"_

_"Insolent boy." The man said coldly. "I brought you here to show you the damage bonds have." He gestured to the area. "Look around you, this whole valley is proof of that."_

_Minato frowned. "In the books, Madara came to destroy the village, before Shodai-sama killed him." He replied. "That does not sound like a fond relationship."_

_"Which is why it's best you forget those girls, save yourself the potential for pain and forge your own path." The man stepped forward, hobbling up as his gaze never left Minato's. "A path you will not find should you continue where you stay."_

_"Konoha is my home." Minato retorted instantly. "And I will make a future there."_

_"You may have a_ future  _there, but you can become truly great if you pushed away such distractions."_

_Minato tensed, eyes narrowing as his hands balled into fists. He thought of Sachiko's kindness and sweet smile. Kushina's fierce determination and never give up attitude. Even of the few other kids in his class he'd managed to befriend, having thawed enough to be found approachable. He would never give up any of it. "Bonds don't make me weak." He replied. "They will make me strong, and I will become great_ without you _."_

_"Then our bond will be the first crack."_

_Minato's eyes lowered. Despite the truth of the matter, knowing he'd never see this infuriating man again…he'd still been a fixture in his life since he was six._ You bitter, rotten old man… _Minato thought. He sighed, and looked up at him firmly. "You're the one whose breaking it."_

_"A fact I am not immune to understanding, Jun." There was something deeper, more meaningful to the words that escaped Minato. The stare leveled at the blond – felt like he was being looked through, that the man was seeing this 'Jun' more keenly than he had before._

_"Namikaze." Minato stiffened. It was startling to hear, because the old man never bothered to call him that. "I will leave you at Tonika, and when we meet again, I will see how much your prediction has come true."_

_Minato followed after the man, frowning as the words bothered him. "That's morbid, even for you. When we meet again, we'll both be dead."_

_The old man never replied._

* * *

Minato knew it was a little underhanded, but he left a shadow clone behind so Iwashi wouldn't catch on that the blond gave him the slip. It was easier, considering he had a seal placed on a tree in the training ground he was standing in. And…Minato grimaced, clenching his fist, he really didn't want anyone to see him. What would they think, of the great Yellow Flash doing  _chakra exercises_ like a genin?  _Hopefully my chakra control has not been_ completely  _shot._

It couldn't be, or at least he supposed it wasn't. Minato hazarded a guess he wouldn't have been able to use his Hiraishin or Rasengan at all if that were true.

_First things first though, time to test how well I can use my jutsu._  Minato decided on a simple one, and weaved through the hand seals before inhaling, "Fūton: Daitoppa!" The wind released was like a small hurricane, gusting through the training ground before a  _crack!_  rang out and Minato watched as a tree broke in two before him.

The blond rang a hand through his hair.  _Okay then, even a little chakra can cause a big reaction. Not surprising considering I summoned three shadow clones instead of one._  Minato held his hands in the clone hand seal. "Bunshin no Jutsu!" Smoke appeared, and Minato's eye twitched as what stood before him was something that just  _barely_  looked alive. It resembled him, but with sickly pale skin, sunken eyes and standing like a ragdoll. Minato tried to make the clone move, but it dispelled immediately.

So no to smaller techniques then. Well, it really means he just needs to concentrate on the  _portions_  he draws. Minato's chakra reserves were nothing to sneeze at even before getting Kyuubi, but his control was the real thing he prided himself on. The blond clenched his fist again, and ran his hand over his palm as he focused on summoning a Rasengan.

It held for a solid twenty seconds before he had to dispel it.

Minato walked up to the fallen tree and plucked a leaf off it. He sat cross-legged on the ground, and place the leaf on his forehead. He breathed in deeply, and the lead stayed put as he closed his eyes.  _Focus on the leaf, focus on the chakra, deep breaths…_

Minato felt the chakra inside of him, flowing through his pathways. Everything around him seemed to become sharper in focus, the added addition of having learned senjutsu. It let him feel the natural energy around him, but it made him a notice a strange discrepancy in his own chakra. It always made him curious, but there were no signs it was  _dangerous_ , nor did anyone else seem to notice it.  _Even I didn't notice before my sage training._

His attention tuned in past his chakra to deep in his gut, and he felt the sickly reserves of his unwanted guest. His gut twisted, and the blond's eyes snapped open. He found himself standing in a place he only had the vaguest recollection of.

He stared up at the bars in front of him, with a paper tag on the front with 'seal' stamped over it. Inside, two red eyes glared out at him. Minato refused to be cowed, and held himself rigidly even as a long arm slammed through the bar, wind kicked up as it stopped short of him. Perhaps it was a trick of the mind when he had the slight glimpse of Kyuubi inside Kira's mind, but he could swear this half of the fox seemed… _brighter_  in color.

Minato decided to put it out of his mind as he glared back at the creature. "Was that supposed to scare me?"

**"Insolent human,"**  the dark, gravelly voice resounded through the room, deep down to Minato's bones,  **"come into this cage and we'll see how long your _bravery_  lasts."**

"Given my life expectancy would be down to zero if I did, I think I'll pass." Minato said flatly. "Why did you call me here?"

**"Call you? I did no such thing."**  It muttered, eyes brightening in resentment.  **"Your _senjutsu_  must be to thank for that."** There was something else in its voice, tone not as…growly. The brief lapse passed, and it scowled full force down at him.  **"Were I to call you for anything, it would be to rip your unworthy hide limb from limb. Having to be trapped in _here_  with  _you_  all of people – I can practically smell the Uchiha taint on you."**

Minato couldn't help rolling his eyes. "Clearly whatever got us to sync up before wasn't your love for my family."

It stared at him, and lowered its head until they were eye to eye. That still didn't mean much, as the Kyuubi's eye was taller than he was. It left the blond with an unsettling feeling to be staring back at his own reflection in the red iris.  **"And which family would that be?"**

Minato frowned, but straightened up as he felt the buzz of turbulent emotions and blinked, looking around as he found himself back outside again, the leaf falling from his forehead. He gritted his teeth.  _This is not over,_  he thought, hoping for once the Kyuubi heard him.

His gaze followed the trail of emotional turmoil, and he spotted a young girl with long brown hair and a mole under her eye. She was running, almost stumbling as her eyes were watery and her face red. The blond sought to recall a name as a he got to his feet. "Izumi-kun?"

The girl faltered, her hair whipping about her face as she whirled around. She stared at him, relieved and ran up to him, hands clasped. "Please! You've got to help, Hokage-sama! They could hurt him!"

Minato's gut twisted, and he knelt. "Slow down; start from the beginning and tell me what happened. Why aren't you in school right now?"

Izumi bit her lip. "Itachi-kun went for a walk, and I wanted to share my lunch with him because that…because Uzumaki-san wasn't around." Minato, just this once, decided to ignore the slip as he listened to her continue, "And we came to the graveyard – people were looking for a body a-a-another Uzumaki I think, but they didn't find them. That's when – that's when I sneezed," she looked ashamed, "and we were found. Itachi-kun was grabbed by a puppet, and he told me to run for help."

Minato nodded, his mind going a mile a minute. Using a puppet was a specialized art, even more focused primarily – or only – in Kaze no Kuni. If they were after a dead Uzumaki, it wouldn't make sense unless they were looking for a  _specific_  one, which also spelled bad news, but something seemed off.  _There's a whole section for the Uzumakis that used to live here_.  _And how did they get in the village?_  Minato didn't like the lapses in security, and he was really starting to get annoyed with how many unanswered questions there were. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Two copies of himself appeared, and Minato delegated between them both. "Clone 1, take Izumi-kun back to the Uchiha compound, and get the police to the graveyard. Clone 2, get to the Hokage Tower and assemble an emergency force. I'll get started on tracking down Itachi-kun. Now, get to it!"

When the two clones nodded, Minato made a break for the graveyard.

* * *

Awareness came back sharply, but Itachi gave no sign that he was conscious again. He didn't twitch, or let his breathing pick up. He remained calm as he opened his eyes enough to see that he was staring straight at the ground. An arm was holding him up by the waist, so it was safe to conclude no one would notice he awoke anyway.

It let him gather his thoughts, to think of a possible escape plan and why these people had broken into Konoha to begin with.  _Obviously to find an Uzumaki,_ he reminded himself. A  _dead_  one, since despite the hiccup regarding Kira's kidnapping, catching the only two living ones in the village would be more difficult.  _Or perhaps a dead one was always going to be the target_. There had a mention of a 'Sasori' wanting an Uzumaki, but it would be useless to speculate without specifics.

If Itachi was supposed to be a 'replacement', it meant his captors had failed. That did not make him feel any better, just like the tight coil which formed in his stomach when he had been forced to let Izumi be the one to get help.  _What am I replacement for? Could it be for my eyes…well, they're going to be severely disappointed._

"Hey, Ibushi-ojii-san, when can we ditch these cloaks?" That single female asked. She sounded like she was keeping rear guard.

Up ahead, the aged voice of the elder retorted with, "Once we reach the safe house."

By process of elimination, the younger man must have been holding him. Itachi peered further down, spying the girl's legs behind them. She was standing at a fair distance. It would only be a measure of how much time he had to perform a hand seal before anyone noticed, and how fast he could run. The thought of having to hide irked him, but he couldn't take three people who carried themselves like ninja despite their bickering.  _I just need to know a little more about who they're working for._

He'd heard the name 'Sasori' yet he couldn't remember  _where_. It had to be someone from a different country, or he would have recalled it more immediately with a person from Hi no Kuni.

"I still don't know why Sasori-nii-san isn't out here instead." The girl grumbled. "You just let him in without getting any proof about his claims, Ojii-san."

"You shouldn't question Ojii-san, Menō." The man holding Itachi spoke up. "We should be glad Ojii-san found someone as adept at puppetry from our clan."

"Yeah, lucky." 'Menō' muttered.

Itachi's mind worked to figure out the identity with the clues.  _Puppets are a specialty of wind country, of Suna…Sasori…Akasuna no Sasori._  Who was a  _missing-nin_. From what he gleaned about the conversation, Sasori was  _supposedly_  a part of a clan, the clan these people were a part of, but the girl, 'Menō', sounded dubious.  _I have an identity, a general assessment of the situation; to continue trying to get information would be foolish._

With that in mind, Itachi began to formulate a plan of escape.  _I don't need to fight, I just need to get away._

* * *

Kira had the distinct uncomfortable feeling of not being able to wake up, but just as disturbed to be stared down by the monster. Its eyes narrowed, having likely heard the slight. The brunet didn't know if it was the fact he was stuck here, or just bored, but he found the urge to speak overwhelming. "You said these cultists wanted to protect me, but that could mean anything."

**"Yes, I thought we already established even I don't know everything."**  Kyuubi muttered reluctantly.  **"I'm trapped inside your puny form, and my other half is inside that blond moron."**

Kira gritted his teeth. "Don't-" he broke off, breathing in deep as he realized what it was trying to rile him up. Probably so it could take over his body. "Why are you so mean to me?"

It stared at him, lip curling up as it sneered.  **"Mean? You really are a child."**  It retorted disdainfully.  **"A pathetically naïve child despite everything, but your measly life is nothing compared to the hundreds of years I have lived."**

"I get it, you're ancient." Kira grumbled petulantly.

The Kyuubi growled low, and Kira jumped when one of its arms shot out, coming within inches of grabbing the boy. Kira screeched as he backed against the wall. The brunet's heart beat faster, eyes wide as the claws at the end of its disturbingly human-like hand inched closer to him. Kira glared at it as it let out a dark laugh, the sound frightening Kira more than he wanted to admit.

**"How easy it is to scare you. I thought you were my kit, but you're just a kit _ten_. Maybe Nibi's by-blow was onto something when he kidnapped you."**  It said mockingly.

Kira's cheeks flushed, this time in anger as he scowled up at the fox. The word also confused him, but that just fueled his anger. "Not a kitten, not a kit, and I'm not  _yours_! I'm Chichi-ue's, I'm Minato-nii's, I'm  _human_!"

The Kyuubi gave him a baleful glare.  **"Tell yourself that all you want, it's never going to be true."**  It whispered spitefully. **"Just you watch; everyone you _think_  loves you will turn against you, and you'll be locked up in a cage. Just. Like.  _Me."_**

The force of the words held more bitterness and quiet fury than Kira had heard yet. The intensity caused his breath to hitch, and Kira hugged himself, gritting his teeth as he willed the tears not to fall. He'd already done too much crying, and being too  _weak_. "You're trying to trick me, you have to be! You're probably the reason I can't wake up; you're doing this so I'll open the seal, aren't you?!"

**"I don't need to coerce you into opening this cage."**  It said, but didn't elaborate.  **"The genjutsu placed on you was strong, and you retreated into your mind. Probably why these memories are being knocked loose."**

A chill ran down Kira's spine, and a cold fury followed. "You…saw that memory?" he whispered, and glared at the fox. "That was mine, you had no right to look at it!"

**"I'm sharing a mind with you, a cramped space but it's better than being actively tortured like with that redheaded witch's seal."**  It retorted, but continued before Kira could yell at it.  **"What you see I can see, but I still don't _see_  why these memories would mean anything to you. Before that cultist knocked the first memory loose, you didn't know or even  _care_  about who this 'Yahiko' was."**

Kira's chest tightened. The specifics evaded him, but he would not be feeling so strongly if this person  _didn't_ mean at least  _something_  to him, would it?  _I guess it depends on whether it's good or bad_. He sighed, frowning as – he stiffened.

_He refused to look at the moving trees, afraid of getting sick as the dizzying blurs of the surroundings were disorienting. The man holding him slowed down though, finally landing on the ground instead of jumping from tree to tree._

_"Sorry about the rough trip, but we needed to get as much distance between us and those Tani shinobi as possible." The man said. "Didn't want to risk getting into a fight."_

_Kira peered up from where he buried his face into the man's chest, and glanced down as Yahiko gently lifted his leg to examine the ankle. Kira grimaced as the man rubbed the dried blood away. "It hurts."_

_"I know it does, but I need to check if it needs medical attention." Kira stared at him without comprehension, and the man sighed. "I want to make it not hurt."_

_"Kira heal fast, blood hurts." Kira replied as seriously as he could._

_It had the opposite effect as the corner of the man's mouth quirked up. He shook his head, but said nothing as he approached a cabin. He paused just before he opened the door. "My friends are going to be surprised, so let me do the talking." Kira stared at him blankly. Yahiko sighed again. "Right." He muttered, then shifted Kira to one arm before raising a single finger to his lips. "Shhhh."_

_Kira's eyes brightened in understanding, and he nodded before copying the gesture. "Shhhh."_

_The man nodded, and opened the door. "Hey, I'm bac-"_

_Kira's eyes zeroed in on the red hair and pale skin, and all he could see was – "Chichi!"_

_The two occupants looked startled, though in hindsight Kira could only assume it was both his presence and the address. The blue-haired woman looked between Kira and Yahiko, while the recipient of the address stared at him in confusion._

_From a detached standpoint, it was clear to see this wasn't Kushina, but at the time Kira's mind just supplied the details. Even then, he couldn't understand why the single visible eye was so odd; it was purple, but with rings throughout the entire eye –_

**"The Rinnegan?"**

Kira snapped back to the present, his head swimming as he gazed up at Kyuubi. It was staring straight ahead, expression blank. "The what?"

Its gaze snapped down to him, lip curling to bare its teeth.  **"Time to wake up, I need to ponder this."**

Kira frowned. " _What?"_

The brunet stiffened though as a concentrated stream of red mist began to bubble through the bars. The wispy chakra grew closer, and he tucked himself against the wall. The Kyuubi didn't fail to notice, and it grinned mockingly at him.  **"Isn't this what you were out here for?"**

"You just want me to go." Kira muttered. He furrowed his brow as he realized why the monster fox sounded so flippant. "Wait, you could have woken me up before now? Why didn't you, 'ttebaro!"

The fox scowled.  **"You're not very perceptive, but what was I expecting after having to watch you fawn sickeningly over that damn Uchiha."**  Kyuubi growled, and gave him another glare. **"But don't think me giving you my chakra changes anything, _kit._  I just don't want what little freedom you have taken away by being locked in a temple, even if it would teach you a lesson."**

Kira glowered at it, his palms itching. "You-"

**"Once you wake up, run like hell."**

Kira furrowed his brow, but gasped as the chakra met his legs. It sent a shock through his whole body, and his eyes snapped open in time to process that Kitsune had stopped to…go to the bathroom. Kira flushed as he rolled to his feet, lucky that Kitsune's back was to him as the man stood behind a bush.  _Gogogogo!_

The boy didn't waste a chance to run, his small feet carrying him as quickly as he could. He wasn't sure where to run  _too_ , but bounded into the forest.  _There has to be a town nearby, we couldn't have gotten far, could we?_  His stomach twisted, but he didn't stop running as he weaved through the trees. His heart beat quickly in his chest, and Kira's eyes widened when he ran through a brush and skidded to a stop.

His breath hitched. Before him a still river, too wide to cross, and it looked deep from how blue it looked. Kira bit his lip, and ran along the bank.  _Towns are usually built by rivers, right? Maybe there someone could help me._  He just hoped if someone pieced together what he was they wouldn't turn against him.  _Yeah, right_.

The water wasn't going in any direction at the moment, which made it difficult to know if he'd make a good choice. Kira's eyes hardened in determination.  _As long it's in the opposite direction of Kitsune._ He nodded to himself, and made a sharp turn to run along the left of the riverbank. Kira frowned as he noticed a sharp drop up ahead, and slowed down as his stomach rolled. He hugged himself, gritting his teeth as he realized he'd reached a dead end.  _Do I just wait here until I think Kitsune is gone?_

He sniffled, but his nose picked up a scent from behind him. He hadn't bothered to place it before, but now that he knew who it was, he started shaking.

Kitsune tutted. "You shouldn't have run; did you really think I wouldn't have caught up with you? Now you've gone and backed yourself into a corner." Kira wished he could step back, but a huge drop-off behind him said it was a bad idea.

The brunet glared up at him. "What do you want from me?"

"Want? I just want you to be safe." Kitsune said it as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "The world isn't good to your kind. My father can attest to that, and he's very eager to meet you." He held out a hand, his voice as soothing and trustful as it was back at the river. "We'll be there in no time, just take my hand."

Kira knew better now, no matter how tempting the promise of meeting someone like him seemed. "No, you kidnapped me! And I'm not letting you do it again!" His hands held the tiger seal, and he gathered his chakra.  _Katon: Karyūdan!_

Nothing but smoke blew out of Kira's mouth, and the boy hacked and coughed as he collapsed to his knees. He held his throat, grimacing. It turned into a scowl as Kitsune shook his head.

"You didn't honestly expect to master such a jutsu right away, did you?" he asked amused. "You don't have the chakra control to perform it correctly."

Kira's stomach dropped, shoulders shaking as self-loathing ate at his insides. He couldn't perform anything – his eyes widened.  _No, I have one thing left._

Kitsune tilted his head as Kira hurriedly went through a set of handseals. "Are you serious? What do you expect to accom-"

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Kitsune's eyes widened, jumping back on instinct. The boy has slammed his hand down on the ground, but instead of an animal appearing – the boy disappeared.

* * *

When Minato reached the graveyard, he was already looking for both a chakra signature, and any evidence of where the target was. He couldn't claim to have tracking skills on par with an Inuzuka, but it had rained last night, and the ground was still slightly muddy. The intruders had tried to cover their tracks by walking  _on_ the mud, but it just left him a trail to follow.

Until he reached the end of the graveyard, but by that point he was hoping to become familiar enough with the signatures to sense them. His eyes traced over the ground, finding the trail of the chakra signatures that were narrowed down to three and going in a group around to different sectors of the graveyard. He wasn't surprised to find the Uzumaki section of the cemetery to first be explored, but his eyes narrowed as he found the signatures going to another spot.

His gut twisted when he found the headstone.  _Nohara Sachiko_ , was the name engraved on the plaque. An inkling of fury began to well up inside of him.  _It was Kushina, they were after Kushina?_  The third spot was the Hokage section, and morbid as it was, he saw that next to his preemptive grave plot was  _nothing_.

Minato gritted his teeth, taking from the intruders' failure to locate Kushina that it implied something else.  _She's not with her clan, she's not with our love, and she's not next to me; where the hell did they bury Kushina-chan?_

The blond breathed in deep, pushing his anger and mounting rage. He didn't want to find Itachi with giving Kyuubi a chance to lash out at him. Minato didn't feel the chakra signatures once they left the graveyard, but he closed his eyes and focused on gathering the senjutsu; the gathering of natural energy, extending his reach as he pressed his hand to ground.

The signatures were moving at a steady pace, deep in the forest and he could feel Itachi's signature with them – Minato's eyes snapped open. The brief orange pigmentation of sage mode and the yellow irises disappeared, the flow of natural energy cut off and his sensory range pulled back. Minato gritted his teeth as his eyes flashed red and the Kyuubi's chakra interrupted his concentration, but it left him with the impression of feeling the disgruntlement and contempt from the intruders.

That was new, but also knew it to be a side-effect of Kyuubi.

_Damn it_ , Minato thought, but summoned another Kage Bunshin. "Stay here, and tell them where the position is." His clone nodded, and Minato sprinted into the forest, jumping up to the trees, and hoped it gave him the element of surprise.

* * *

Itachi kept his movements natural, to anyone's eye just looking like his limbs flailed before he brought them together into a seal. He held the final seal, clasping his hands before bringing up his hand to his mouth and aimed for the man's cloak.  _Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu._ He spat out a small flame that caught the edge of the man's cloak.

It didn't take long for it to be noticed.

"You're on fire!" Menō shrieked.

Itachi was dropped to the ground as the man hurried to pull the cloak off. His teammates – or clan members – rushed to check on him. The girl berated him as she stomped on the cloak, while the old man checked for burns.

"How did it even catch fire-"

Itachi didn't waste a second when their back was turned. He sprinted into the brush as the man roared.

"THAT LITTLE BRAT!"

* * *

Jiraiya sprinted through the trees for a better vantage point, following after the tracking toad. It was easy enough to get the boy's scent, given the knee-jerk reaction the toad grimaced before taking off. It was a chase through the trees, but the fact the other scent was covered with a  _similar_  smell didn't bode well.

First it was the Nibi's brat, and now was there another half-demon after Kira? What was with them coming out  _now_  to take him?  _Not unless it's because he's the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki too_. That would give anyone serious clout once the boy could get a hold on his own power and the demon's.

It was the fact the second scent only  _somewhat_ smelled of a half-demon that was a little more worrying. Was this a  _child_  of a half-demon? Either way, Kira needed to be found yesterday or Minato was going to wail on him.

_"Bring him back to me."_  And he could picture Minato's face twisted as his eyes turned red,  _"You had **one**   **job**."_

_Child of prophecy indeed_ , Jiraiya thought sardonically.

"Jiraiya-san, the scent is right ahead." The toad said.

The white-haired man nodded. "Right." He dismissed the toad and crouched on a tree. He narrowed his eyes as he observed the cloaked figure standing at the ledge of the cliff, which he realized had taken him to the Valley of the End.

The cloaked figure whirled around, a myriad of fireballs being spat at him. Jiraiya dodged all the fireballs, and landed on the ground. "Well, I guess subtleties is out." The white-haired man said humorously.

Two light blue eyes behind a foxlike mask narrowed. "Jiraiya of the Sannin." He said in a low, grave voice. "You broke through my genjutsu."

Jiraiya observed the man, snorting. "Little on the nose with the fox symbolism, aren't you?"

"It worked." Kitsune retorted. "As how easy it was to get you away from Kira-kun."

"And where is he?" Jiraiya questioned, his eyes peering beyond him at the cliff. For a brief moment, he wondered if he'd have to check the water below. "If you even touched a hair on his head-"

"Save your breath, fake." Kitsune spat. "If you truly gave a damn, you'd have stayed with him than give into your vices. Just like his so-called father should have known better."

The Sannin narrowed his eyes as his expression hardened. He could never say he was around much when Kira was younger, but in his mind, he could still see Minato holding a baby with wispy brown hair and staring down at him with adoration. How Minato looked at both his children, and regarded them with the same deep, pure love.

"You think your insults are going to work?" Jiraiya snorted. "I've heard it all before, but don't think I'm going to let you tear Minato's family apart. Now where's the kid?"

Kitsune began to back away. "Far away from you." He replied lightly. His foot touched the edge, and Kitsune fell back.

Jiraiya jumped to immediate action, jumping high into the air and twisted around. He spied Kitsune falling towards the water, and reached into his pouch. He pulled out the fuuma shuriken and unfolded it before throwing it. His hands flashed through the hand seals as the wind picked up around the shuriken. "Fūton: Kakeami!"

The wind around the fuuma shuriken formed into a wide cast net that slammed against Kitsune as the shuriken dug into the rock. Sharp cuts tore into Kitsune's cloak, scratching his mask and biting into his skin as he clasped his hands together and a piece of the cliff jutted out to encase him in a rock dome.

Jiraiya was already doing through another set of hand seals before he even touched the water's surface. "Suiton: Mizu Kamikiri!" A jet of water shot up along the cliff, tearing through the rock before it sliced the dome clean in half. Only to reveal an empty center. "Damn it." Jiraiya cursed.

The white-haired man looked around the cliff surface, narrowing his eyes.  _He wanted to escape...so you think hiding in the rock will help you?_  Jiraiya went through several set of seals. "Suiton: Suijinheki!" The water at the base of the cliff swept up the rock.

A flat block of rock shot out, splitting the water as Kitsune appeared on it, who glared down at him with his hands in another seal.

"Doton: Tobi Tsubute!" Kitsune slammed his fist into the cliff, large rocks breaking off and flying through the water down at Jiraiya.

The white-haired man thought fast, pumping chakra into his legs before jumping to the first stone. He launched himself to the next, and on the third both he and Kitsune were flashing rapidly through hand seals, two attacks being shouted simultaneously.

"Katon: Karyūdan!"

"Suiton: Suizetsusan!"

The attacks stuck, fire against water. Though there was a stalemate, the water eventually pushed through, wiping out the fire as it reached its target.

Kitsune's eyes widened. "No!"

The jet of water slammed into Kitsune, pinning him against the cliff until Jiraiya landed on the rock ledge of the wall. The man cut the attack and watched as Kitsune slumped forward, coughing and gasping as his mask cracked, breaking into pieces.

Jiraiya glared at him. "I'll ask you one more time; where is Kira?"

Kitsune held the wall, shoulders heaving as he sucked in desperate breaths of air. "You-think-this-changes-anything?" he asked, coughing again. "You've wasted your time; I don't have him."

Jiraiya stiffened, his expression flashing in surprise before his features hardened. "And why would I believe you?"

"Because if I had him, you never would have found us." Kitsune said coldly, and he looked up to glare at him.

Jiraiya couldn't stop his knee-jerk reaction. His eyes widened as he stared at the face before him; a face he knew well stared back. Despite being older, despite the eyes being the wrong color, despite he should  _be dead_  – "Y-Yahiko?"

* * *

Minato narrowed his eyes when his ears picked up the rustling of leaves and he crouched low. Relief was sharp when a small boy with shoulder-length hair came stumbling through the brush. "Itachi-kun?"

The boy jolted, eyes shooting up to him. Itachi pulled his hands close to himself, shoulders tense. "You will not capture me again, intruder."

Minato didn't have time for this, there was still those real intruders around. "Listen, Itachi-kun, good on you for questioning things. We really don't have time for this; you love cabbage, you like dango, you hate steak, and the one time I watched you and Kira you both fell asleep cuddled together and I took pictures."

"You swore you would destroy those." Itachi said instantly, but pulled back.

The blond smiled briefly. "I gave a copy to Mikoto-chan; you'll have to take it up with her." He landed on the ground, placing his hands on his hips. "Do you believe me now?"

Itachi wavered, eyes looking through him with a brief intensity that unnerved him. The boy nodded sharply. "I have found out valuable information, Hokage-sama."

Minato held in his sigh. "Yeah, okay, tell me on the way back to Konoha." Itachi made a disgruntled sound when Minato lifted him up, and sprinted back through the woods.

"There were three; an old man called Ibushi, a young girl named Menō, and a man that didn't get named. They are presumably from a puppeteer clan, as that's how I was captured; they are after a dead Uzumaki I couldn't get the name for, but the one who wanted them is a fourth person that wasn't around from their clan: Akasuna no Sasori."

Minato's eyes hardened, lips pressed tight. "You did well, Itachi-kun." He said, but said no more on the subject. A part of him wanted to go back, to hunt down the intruders and make them show him where Sasori was hiding. His jaw clenched, but he kept his head in the now than the past. So much from the past was now muddying his thoughts, which made getting back to Konoha right now imperative.

"Mi-" The blond heard the  _whoosh_  of air behind him, and sidestepped the barrage of kunai that was thrown at his back. They embedded themselves in the tree, bubbling with poison.

"I heard them, Itachi-kun." Minato replied. "Hold on tight, I'm about to pick up the pace." He felt Itachi's hands tighten on his shoulders before the blond used a shunshin. He disappeared in a yellow flash, tunnel vision settling in. The world shrank around him, and Minato only saw the approaching party once they were  _right there_.

The blonde let go of the jutsu as he leapt over the group, holding Itachi tighter as he twisted and crouched to soften the fall. While the front was easy to misidentify as just Konoha shinobi, Minato saw the symbol of the KMPF on all of them. "Hey!"

The group of Uchihas had stopped before he spoke, but his voice gave them a face to it. Several Sharingans locked onto him, and Fugaku pushed through the group before he quickly looked them both over. "Itachi?"

"I'm fine, Otou-san." Itachi replied, his voice even quieter than usual. "I managed to escape before they took me too far, and Minato-sama found me."

The blond couldn't guess as to whether Fugaku was impressed or not as his stony expression never changed. Either way, Minato spoke up fast. "Fugaku-san, take your son and I'll deal with-"

"Namikaze." Minato stopped as the Uchiha clan head cut him off, and even the others in the squad glanced at him. "What did you do when your son was kidnapped?"

A flush of anger rippled through Minato, and he closed his eyes before anyone could see if they flashed a red different than the Uchihas in front of him. He calmed himself down with the knowledge that Fugaku had no idea about Kira's kidnapping before Sen. "Just bring someone back to interrogate if you can." he pointed out to the trees before them. "Keep going that way, they were chasing us before I shunshined away."

Fugaku nodded curtly, and he led the other members of his squad away. Minato reluctantly kept on his way to the village.

_I'll find you Sasori, and make you pay,_  Minato thought, his eyes narrowing in determination.

* * *

Light blue eyes narrowed, sharp and intense. "How do you know that name?"

Jiraiya narrowed his own, moving past his own shock to look for little details that could separate this man from his old student. "No, you're not him; just a clever fake."

Anger twisted the other's expression, Kitsune's teeth bared in a snarl. "I'm no fake; I lived years with my twin before he was taken from me."

_A twin? But Yahiko never mentioned-_  Ah, but then again Jiraiya hadn't told those kids everything either. He hadn't even known until well into living with them about Nagato's Rinnegan.  _Anger riled this guy up, maybe I can work with that._  "I knew Yahiko because I was his sensei for three years; he and his friends were my students."

Kitsune stared at him, distrust and anger never leaving his gaze. "Knew?"

"Things...happened. This doesn't have to go any further, just tell me where Kira is." Jiraiya said.

Kitsune looked down, his bangs shadowing his face as his jaw clenched, his fingers digging into the rock. "You thought to give me hope, just to tell me my other half is still dead?" he looked at him sharply. "I will find that boy, and none of you will ever see him  _again!"_

Jiraiya lunged forward, but all the got was Kitsune's cloak as he sprinted back up the cliff. Jiraiya cursed and gave chase again. Once he reached the top, Kitsune was nowhere in sight.  _Shit, as if there weren't enough going on._  A puff of smoke caught his attention, and he drew a kunai on instinct.

Once it cleared, a small blue and white slug was beside him. "Jiraiya-san." Katsuyu said, bowing its head.

Jiraiya didn't relax, still giving the area another once over before sighing in frustration. "Katsuyu-sama." he said, but put on an easy smile. "Twice in such a short time? Tsunade-hime must really miss me."

Katsuyu's voice was dry as it replied, "She just wants you to come pick up a scared little boy."

Jiraiya's humor faded, eyes narrowed in thought. "So the kid used the summoning jutsu again? Smart." he said. "Alright, where is he this time?"

Katsuyu responded by spitting out a scroll. "Please come here as soon as possible." It said, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Jiraiya read over the contents, the words from his princess more harsh and abrasive than Katsuyu let on.  _This trip was a complete disaster_.

* * *

Evading the leaf scum had been difficult, but the trio had managed to round back to the safe house. Meno grumbled to herself, unable to keep the disappointment out of her expression. Ibushi had gone to speak with Sasori, leaving her and Gando out in the empty front room.

Soon, Ibushi came back out. "He wants to speak with you both." he said curtly.

"Hai." Meno and Gando said, and walked to the backroom. It was sparse, aside from the lamplight igniting the room.

And the redheaded figure sitting at the desk, working on a puppet. Meno scowled when she saw his Suna flak jacket; it had been a long time since Sunagakure banished the Shirogane clan, but the sight of it was enough to further her distrust of him.

"Not only were you all late, but you failed too." Sasori's voice was calm, borderline emotionless.

"What you wanted was impossible!" Meno snapped. Sasori stopped working, going still.

Gando spoke up quickly. "That is, we couldn't find the Uzumaki woman; we had thought to bring you an Uchiha, but that fell through as well. We're late because we had to get away from Konoha shinobi."

Sasori didn't speak as he stood up quietly. He turned to face them, his unsettling gaze as unnerving as his calm voice. "Yes, that matches what Ibushi told me." he halted, tilting his head. "Gando, leave."

Meno stiffened as the man left, leaving them alone. "Nii-san-"

"You don't like me." It wasn't a question, and Meno's mouth snapped shut. "And really, I don't care. Your disdain though is impeding your loyalty, and that is unacceptable."

Meno narrowed her eyes, jerking her chin up. "Loyalty to the clan is not loyalty to  _you_. It's not like you're the clan head, you're just one of those Suna scum that ran away."

"That's where you're wrong; I do have the loyalty of Ibushi, and Gando would do anything for the clan." Sasori replied calmly. "The only weak link - is you."

Meno's eyes widened, gasping as blood spittle fell from her lips. She looked incredulously down at the spike which drove through her back out her stomach. She glanced behind her, and found one of Sasori's puppets there. A numbing began to course through the wound, and she glared at him. "T-traitor." she spat, grunting as the spike was ripped out, and she collapsed to the floor.

Sasori stepped up to her, looking down at her. "As you are now, you're useless to me." His eyes almost gleamed in the lamplight. "With the notes of the Shirogane's human experimentation and my own knowledge, I will make you stronger." he knelt beside her. "Feel honored, cousin; you will become a part of my art."


	13. Time For A Cool Down

_Kira shifted, curling more into the blanket that had been given to him. He'd been given a shirt to wear while his pants were cleaned; the shirt was oversized and reached past his ankles while the blanket was a makeshift cocoon. It warmed him, something even warmer about the fact he'd been here for a day and no one had been mean to him._

_Kira missed his own bed, his brothers and sister, and it made his head hurt that Nagato_ wasn't _his father despite how in his mind the redhead resembled her. There had been a bunch of words about 'genetics' and 'strong blood' but it went so over Kira's head he just stared blankly and shut down the argument with "Chichi making Kira's head hurt."_

_Nagato may have stopped arguing, but he didn't look happy about it. Especially since both Yahiko and that 'Konan' lady seemed amused by it._

_Though right now he heard the tight, strained tones that reminded him of when Kushina was angry but trying to keep calm; she only got that way when she couldn't outwardly retaliate against people who hurt him. Though he wasn't sure why Yahiko and Nagato were sounding like that._

" _We can't keep him here; while I don't mind knowing that he exists, it's too dangerous for him to stay." Nagato said._

" _But we can't just send him back there!" Yahiko's voice was a heated whisper. Had Kira been more perceptive, he would have realized that they were trying not to wake him. "From what he said and why he was with those Tani shinobi-I don't think he was wanted."_

_There was a heavy silence, before Nagato said, "He looked so happy when he saw me though, when he thought I was-" he stopped, and sighed._

_Yahiko's voice lowered too. "If they wanted him back, why wouldn't they have come to get him? Why would they let someone rip their family apart?" There was a strained edge, more pained. "Why wasn't it her that came and saved him instead of me?"_

_Another silence resumed, and this time Konan spoke up, her voice clear and thoughtful. "Why don't we meet somewhere in the middle, just to be safe?" she asked. "We can contact with Sensei and get a feel over what the situation is. If everything's just a big misunderstanding, he can go home. If notâ€¦then, I'm sure someone can care and love him as their own."_

" _We could be his family." Yahiko offered a bit too quickly, and his tone turned reluctantly accepting, "Fine, we'll ask Sensei."_

" _You'll see," Konan said reassuringly, "no matter what outcome, this will work out."_

"Hey-kid, you even listening?"

Kira almost jumped, and nearly stumbled as he looked up at Jiraiya. "What?"

Jiraiya rubbed his brow. "I'll take that as a no." he muttered. "I _said_ ; do you know what we're going to tell Minato-kun when we get back to Konoha?"

Kira's lips curled into a disapproving scowl. He tried to emulate the scowl Tsunade had given Jiraiya when the white-haired man showed up to get him, but Jiraiya didn't look nervous like he did when she levelled the look at him. Instead Jiraiya just snorted and Kira's scowl deepened. "You want me to _lie_ to Otou-san!" he snapped, not for the first time.

And Jiraiya let out a frustrated sound that reflected this ongoing argument. "For the last time, we're not _lying_ to him-you're just not going to say anything about what happened until I can break it to him."

"You want me to say everything was fine, that's lying!"

"For the last time, aside from the hiccups everything _was_ fine." Jiraiya pinched the bridge of his nose, grimacing. "Justâ€¦let me handle it. And since I'm the adult, you gotta listen to me-so there."

Kira pouted, his cheeks puffed out indignantly. "Still lying." He muttered.

"I swear, I think you're more difficult than any other kid I've trained." Jiraiya muttered.

Kira huffed. "And what other kid have you every taught beside Otou-san and his teammates?"

Jiraiya crossed his arms. "I'll have you know I trained three Ame orphans for three years andâ€¦" he trailed off, as though the wind left his sail. "Well, you're the youngest brat I've ever dealt with."

Kira glowered at him, but froze as the word _Ame_ rang in his mind, and he felt dizzy as he saw a flash of a headband, four straight lines running down the steel plate. "I-I think I knew some Ame shinobi." The words stumbled out before he could stop them.

Jiraiya raised a brow. "You're seven," he said flatly, "how would you even know what the Ame symbol _is_? Did they even get to that in your class yet?"

Kira puffed up, and raised his finger in the air before mimicking the symbol in the air. "Well, no, actually-but this proves I know what the symbol means! And that Yahiko wouldn't have had their headband if he weren't one too!"

Jiraiya halted entirely. Kira stopped too, feeling anxious as the man's face was shadowed as he looked at the ground. "What did you just say?" his voice was quieter than Kira could remember hearing it.

It made him uneasy, and Kira rubbed his arm. "I-I said Yahiko is an Ame shinobi." He repeated. "Ever since K-Kitsune appeared, I've been getting flashbacks to something-I don't know why or-"

"Did Kitsune ever show you his face?" Jiraiya cut him off, voice still unerringly low.

Kira glanced away. "No, but for some reason he sounded just like-like Yahiko in my memories."

"And do you get flashes of anyoneâ€¦else in these memories?" Jiraiya sounded almost cautious, and it made Kira on edge.

"Yes," he answered slowly, "they're was Konan and Nagato-I thought Nagato was Chichi-ue but his eyes," Kira stalled, glancing away as the man steadily grew as pale as his hair, "they were really weird-looking. Purple, but had these rings and-"

"The Rinnegan." Jiraiya muttered.

Kira looked at him sharply, brow furrowed. "That's what Kyuubi called it when it saw my memory too." He said. "What _is_ the Rinnegan though? Why-"

"When did this all happen?" Jiraiya finally looked at him, and Kira stiffened as the man's dark eyes kept him in place with that serious gaze.

Kira swallowed nervously. "I-I'm not sure." He said softly. "I just remember that Chichi-ue was gone a while, and then Otou-san was gone. I-I'm pretty sure Yahiko saved me from Tani-" his brow scrunched as he tried to recall the word, "yeah, Tani shinobi, but I don't know why they had me either."

Jiraiya stared at him for a long moment, as though scrutinizing and analyzing everything Kira had relayed. Finally, he said, "I'll tell your dad."

Kira blinked. "Really? What changed?"

"Listen, you don't have to think about it anymore, alright? Just let me handle everything." Jiraiya replied.

Kira frowned as he stared up at him. "Why?" he pressed, but blinked slowly as his eyes widened. "Do you know them? Is that it?" he watched as Jiraiya hesitated, an uneasy look in his eye. Kira though began to get excited. "You do, 'ttebaro! Can you tell me what they're like? Can I meet them? Do you think they'll know why I was with-"

"They won't know anything because they're all dead! So stop asking!"

Kira's mouth snapped shut, his eyes widening. His chest tightened, and Kira's fingers clenched the strap of his backpack. He looked down, squeezing his eyes shut as they stung, a lump in his throat. Silently, only nodded and didn't look back up.

In fact, he didn't say anything else for the rest of the trip.

* * *

Minato wondered if he could get a headache anymore, or if he was literally hurting his brain with his overthinking. After the fiasco that happened with Itachi's kidnapping and subsequent escape of those rogue ninja-which the Uchiha were _severely_ displeased with-there was still no definitive answer for who they were â€“ at least not yet.

And that didn't help the fact Kira and Jiraiya should have been back the day before, but Jiraiya only sent him a message that they ran into Tsunade and would take a little longer getting back. Plus, there was still the silence from Yoshi, who hadn't taken to asking him at all where Kira was, which was suspicious enough to prickle his paranoia.

Perhaps the only redeeming feature â€“ such as it were in this mess â€“ was that playing with Naruto managed to keep his stress levels down.

And he would need that comfort and joy later, because right now he was sitting with his knees folded uncomfortably under him in front of the council, the village elders staring back at him with neutral expressions that gave away nothing.

Minato felt less like the Hokage, and more like a genin being disciplined for his reckless actions. Though in all honesty, the 'reckless actions' are what this was likely about â€“ maybe. They hadn't said anything since calling him in while he was in the office, and he wondered if they were trying to intimidate him with the silence. Minato gave nothing away though, remaining perfectly still and poised with his hands folded on his lap, posture straight and eyes staring a space on the wall beyond them.

Finally, Minato made the first move; a show cockiness to get them to lower their guard and work in his favor, to go with the image that youth equaled arrogance. "I don't see what the big deal is," he began, keeping his voice light, "I was in the vicinity of where Uchiha Itachi was kidnapped, I made sure to send for backup, tracked down the intruders, and managed to bring Itachi-kun back unharmed."

"What you accomplished is nothing compared to the list of transgressions you committed in doing so." Homura said stiffly. "You snuck out from your office, shirked your duties, and did not follow proper protocol in your personal rescue mission, which resulted in the escape of rogue shinobi and you failed to inform us of matters regarding the asset."

_And there is it,_ Minato thought, keeping his anger buried. The other 'accusations' were nothing but a smokescreen to reprimand him about letting the 'weapon' run free. He wanted to clench his fists, but decided the best course of action to control his anger was to deliberately steer the conversation away and ignore it. _Plus, it'll piss them off,_ he added somewhat gleefully. Sticking it to the three others would make his day, and he was just petty enough to include Sarutobi because he was still angry with him about Kira.

"Yes, that is quite a list." Minato drawled. "As the Hokage though, I have absolute power to do whatever I want."

Koharu bristled, her lips pursed. "Watch your tone, we were the ones who allowed you to take the hat."

_And I bet you're regretting it right now too,_ Minato thought, but made himself appear contrite, though he didn't get a chance to say anything as Homura spoke up once again.

"And this is not the first time you've acted recklessly in the interest of _personal matters,_ in running off without backup when the asset was taken previously, and allowing the Uchiha to patrol the gates _._ " Minato kept his face neutral at that, because _now_ they decided to acknowledge his Uchiha roots?

"I figured it would be a wise decision, given their tense about the fact the Uchiha heir was kidnapped, and that the security for the gates could use better scrutiny since long before this there's been problems â€“ both out and _in_ the village." Minato said, narrowing his eyes to bring focus back on the _other_ thing. "Kira was kidnapped long before this, and no one saw fit to inform me or Kushina â€“ his _parents -_ that he'd been taken."

No one except Sarutobi showed a reaction, and even then it was the old man sighing, breathing out the smoke in his mouth from his pipe.

"Must you bring this up here?" he questioned.

Minato nodded. "I figured if this was a meeting to bring up the mistakes of the Hokage, then I assumed this included you too, since there were quite a few upsets you made during your reinstatement." He smiled at them vapidly. "The rest of you can go, since this group doesn't include any of you."

"You think yourself infallible to command us?" Koharu questioned stiffly. "We've been around longer and lived through more than you've been alive, _boy_."

Minato finally felt a sliver of anger cut through the calm. "You have," he agreed, "but from my experience wisdom certainly doesn't come with age, but a self-righteous belief that you _think_ everything you do is justifiable."

"This arguing is getting us nowhere." Sarutobi said firmly, and he narrowed his eyes at Minato, who genuinely cringed under the gaze. Then he looked to the other three elders, though Minato noted that Danzo had been suspiciously silent throughout the whole 'meeting'. "Let us just end this farce and cut right to it; Minato-kun, _why_ did you let Kira-kun out of the village without informing anyone?"

Minato sighed quietly. _Finally, we get to the heart of the issue._ "No one would have allowed it." He answered simply.

Koharu glared at him. "So you risk village security by letting him leave anyway?"

Minato remained calm. "Yes." He replied curtly. "Because from even an," he kept back the wince, " _accidental_ use of Kyuubi's chakra, everyone was freaking out over it. There is nowhere in the village Kira could have trained to use it without being disturbed."

"You let him go without taking any proper precautions to keep the demon in check." Homura added sternly.

Minato narrowed his eyes. "Jiraiya-sensei is more than capable of keeping Kira's seal in check, and Kira is comfortable enough being around him that he wouldn't be nervous to try drawing on Kyuubi's chakra." He rolled his eyes to the sky in a show of exaggeration.

"And because of the suspicion I know is on the Uchiha, I couldn't very well send one of them to keep an eye on him. And since there weren't any other bloodlines that would keep the fox's power supressed, I had to do without." He explained with no small amount of frustration. He looked to each of them, and Minato narrowed his eyes again. "And if we're done here, I have an actual job to do."

This wasn't likely even half of what he wanted to shout at them for, but the blond was more than aware now that if he wanted anything done he'd need to do it himself. He was the _Hokage_ , damnit, and that was more than just a figurehead role.

Minato didn't give them a chance to reprimand him as he got up and stormed out of the room. Let them think him petulant and unruly, an arrogant little toad, but he would get results. He had a month before he needed to leave for Suna to preside over the Chunin exams there, and so he'd better get started.

* * *

Kira was met with an odd tension when they came up to the Konoha gates, the guards stiffening on their approach. He was a little surprised to see a KMPF member above the archway, Sharingan active and giving him and Jiraiya a scrutinizing glare. Kira winced at seeing the red eyes, and looked back down at the ground, his head pounding and hearing Kyuubi's growl in the back of his mind.

"Seems Minato-kun wasn't kidding about sprucing up security." Jiraiya said as he handed the identification papers to a guard.

Kira didn't reply, still too hurt about earlier, but the white-haired man didn't seem to notice as they were waved in. The boy rubbed his arm, feeling a strange tension emanating from everyone they passed; combined with the usual disdain when they saw him, the emotions were suffocating.

"Hand your bag over, kid, gotta show Minato-kun the picture you found." Jiraiya said. Kira nodded and let him take the backpack, but the man's brow creased as he rifled through the pockets. "Unbelievable, it must have slipped out on the way back." He rubbed his brow before shoving the bag back into Kira's arm. "There goes the physical evidence."

Kira's shoulders slumped, but he remained quiet. Maybe it was the fact he'd had actually accessed Kyuubi's chakra, that let him more acutely feel the negative emotions of others; so far he'd only been able to Minato's, but during the trip the blond must have been taking extra pains not to worry him with his own stress so the bond had been mostly silent.

"In any case, I'll talk to Minato-kun." Jiraiya pushed Kira along to make him keep up with him. "Come on, I'll drop you off first."

Kira nodded, holding his bag to his chest as he kept his head down. His chest tightened the closer they got, and he practically raced to open the front door as Jiraiya then turned and left. "Tadaima!"

"Welcome home." Taji's voice called from the living room. Little baby cooing followed and Kira's chest tightened further, causing him to slip off his shoes and leave his backpack on the floor. The brunet rushed into the other room, where his eyes locked on Taji sitting on the floor, while playing with a block was Naruto.

Once he saw Kira though, Naruto threw the block away, shrieking happily as he fell onto his knees, babbling as he crawled over to the older boy. Kira's lips quivered as he dropped to his knees and picked Naruto up, burying his face in his hair as the baby gurgled and patted â€“ more like slapped â€“ the side of his face. Kira only kept smiling, his vision blurred.

It was only a few days, but being away from his family felt like an eternity. And if he was choking up over holding Naruto, Kira knew he'd be a complete mess once he saw Minato.

"I kept my promise," he said quietly, "I couldn't get pictures on the way out, but I got some of this town we stopped in." he sniffed, and glanced at Taji. "Was he behaving?"

Taji's eyes were shiny as she looked at them, seeming ready to start cooing as well. "Yes, a little darling who only cried when I wouldn't give him his sippy cup fast enough or changed his diaper quickly."

Kira snickered, and nuzzled against Naruto's cheek, right over his whisker marks. Naruto made happy little purring sounds, and Kira smiled slightly. "I can't wait to show you and Otou-san the pictures." he cleared his throat as he straightened up. "Taji-san, do you know why the gates are so much more guarded?"

Taji's expression became closed off, edging toward unease. "Well, you see, while you were away, there was an incident." she said. "Someone...kidnapped Itachi-kun-"

Kira jolted, jostling Naruto who whined and hit him on the shoulder. Kira winced as he secured his grip again. "W-what do you mean kidnapped? Does anyone know where he is?"

"He's safe." Taji reassured him. "Hokage-sama managed to rescue him and bring him back. Unfortunately the kidnappers escaped. The village has been on alert since then."

Kira glanced to the side, relieved despite still being uneasy. "Is Itachi-san okay?"

"I assume he's unsettled by the experience." Taji replied. "Though I can't be certain since he's been held up in his home, Mikoto-san isn't allowing visitors."

Kira bit his lip, but stopped himself from nodding. His expression hardened. "I want to go see him." he said firmly. "To make sure he's alright myself." he kissed Naruto's forehead as he handed him back to Taji, and gave her a stern look. "I'm going to take him a snack; do we have any dango left?"

Taji raised a brow. "Yes." she said. "I don't think you'll have any better luck than his other well wishers, no matter how long you've been his friend."

Kira grimaced. "Known him." he corrected her. "And it doesn't matter if I can see him, I just want to know he's okay â€“ Mikoto-san can give him the food."

"Then I suggest a nice tea as well." Taji said as she got up with Naruto to follow Kira into the kitchen. She watched him carefully while putting Naruto into his high chair. "It will help calm his nerves."

Kira nodded as he grabbed the frozen dango out of the freezer. He set them aside as he climbed onto the step-ladder to turn on the stove and fill the pot with warm water. "Okay." he said. "You mean like shogayu?"

Taji raised both brows this time. "And did you hear about this tea while Hokage-sama was pregnant?" The boy nodded, and she shook her head. "It helps treat morning sickness, so I'm not surprised, but I was thinking of just a simple green tea." she said. Kira paused, but nodded and Taji looked curiously at his selection as he retrieved a carton of noodles. "What do you plan on making him?" Taji questioned. "Yakimeshi with dango?"

Kira grimaced. "No, that sounds like something Otou-san also had during his pregnancy." he set the pot onto the stove and pulled the dango over. "I saw the recipe in my book; I'm making mitarashi kushi dango and zaru soba. It won't take long so I can go sooner." he said and filled another pot before setting it on the next burner.

"We." Taji corrected him. "And are you sure you can handle doing all that by yourself?"

"Yes, my cooking skills need the exercise." Kira said firmly. While the dango and noodles boiled, Kira got a skillet out and put a bit of sauce in it to heat, and proceeded to slid the noodles in after letting the sauce cool. He made long work of getting the dango right, with the appropriate amount of sauce, and then slid the noodles into a container before packing both in a bento box. "There, all done."

"What about your tea?" Taji asked, leaning on her elbows. Kira's shoulders slumped, and she snickered. "Never mind, no one has to know you forgot."

Kira rubbed he back of his neck. "Okay then." he replied, and as Taji got Naruto ready to leave, the brunet put all the pots and pan into the sink. "I'll wash them when we come back." he called, and grabbed the box before rushing to slip into his shoes.

Taji soon appeared with Naruto in his little jacket, and cap. "All set?"

Kira nodded, and both of them made their way out. Kira was hit once more with the crushing sensation of glares thrown at him, but kept his focus squarely in front of him as Taji led him to the Uchiha compound. The guards at the gate had a short back and forth, and Kira was miffed they checked his food, but he only grumbled through it before finally being let in.

The three of them walked down the path to the house, and Kira saw Mikoto shaking out a rug on her porch. "Mikoto-san!" he called.

The woman looked up, and she smiled when she saw him. "Well look who's back." she set the rug over the porch floor and dusted her hands. "How was your trip with Sensei?"

Kira stalled, biting his lip. "...tiring." he answered.

Mikoto snickered. "Yeah, I can imagine. Be glad you only had to work with him for a few days." she said and gestured to the door. "Come in, come in," she tapped Naruto on the cheek, "Sasuke-chan's going to be so glad to see you!"

Taji looked tired. "Hopefully with less fighting." she said.

Mikoto nodded, and glanced at Kira's box. "Ah, you didn't need to bring that, I know what you can't eat."

Kira stood up straighter. "Mikoto-san, this isn't for me." he held out the box to her. "It's for Itachi-san. I heard what happened, and I hope this will make him feel better."

"Food." Mikoto said, a touch incredulous but amused.

Kira nodded. "Otou-san was always happy when he ate Chichi-ue's cooking, and so won't this make Itachi-san happy? I made him dango." he added as though it were a plus.

Mikoto raised a brow, hands on her hips. "Is that so?" she asked, but smiled lopsidedly as she reached down and ruffled his hair. "Tell you what; let's keep this between us and I'll let you take that to Itachi-kun, okay?"

Kira nodded. "Yes, 'ttebaro!"

Mikoto's smile turned a bit sad, but she looked away and went inside. Kira followed her in, and she grabbed his box to set onto a tray with two drinks before handing it to him. "Take this to him then."

"Okay." Kira said seriously, and walked through the halls to Itachi's room. He shifted the tray to hold under his arm and opened the blind. He frowned at the empty room, walking in to set the tray onto the bed. "Itachi-san? Where are you?"

"You're back."

Kira jumped, stumbling onto his backside as he looked up. His eyes met Itachi's as the other boy was standing on the ceiling looking just as bored there as he was on the ground. "You could have warned me!"

Itachi's brow creased slightly. "I waited until you set the tray down."

Kira rolled his eyes. "Well come down here, I brought you dango and soba." He was unsurprised when the other boy immediately dropped to the floor, crouched to soften his fall. "How did you even learn to walk on walls?"

"I was bored," Itachi said, opening the box and picked up one of the three skewered dango Kira made, "and I haven't been able to leave the compound for two days now."

"Thatâ€¦didn't answer my question." Kira pointed out.

Itachi glanced at him. "I saw some of the police using it to patrol the walls, and copied it."

"Then do you have-"

"No, I observed and did what they did." Itachi replied.

Kira blinked, but sighed as he realized how far behind he really was. "It looks like you learned more on your own than I did on my trip." He said, but that brought him back to the reason he was here. "So, you okay? I know getting kidnapped isn't easy to get over."

Itachi stopped, staring down at his food as though it were more interesting than the topic at hand. Finally, after a long stretch of silence, he said, "I'm supposed to do the saving, not _be_ saved. Minato-sama likely thinks poor of me for it now."

Kira frowned, gleaning just enough that it was probably the blond that rescued the other boy. "I thought self-doubt was my thing?"

"It is not doubt, I am merely questioning my prowess." Itachi said bluntly.

"Yeah, because that's not the same thing." Kira drawled. He shook his head. "What about tomorrow after you're done school? We can train for a little while, and see how far we are compared to each other?"

"I will likely be unable to go to our training ground unattended." Itachi pointed out.

Kira scratched his cheek. "Thenâ€¦what about just going to an actual training ground? You can let your own training ground be a "secret", and bringing some guard with you lets your parents not worry about you."

Itachi frowned slightly. "They're already going to do that, most likely." He said, but sighed quietly. "I will ask, and tell you tomorrow."

Kira nodded, but paused. "Speaking of school though, I think I've figured out how to make our classmates respect me, 'ttebaro!"

Itachi looked bored, and didn't go along with the prompt.

Kira deflated, and grimaced. "I'm going to make something and hand it out to the class. Everyone likes food, right?"

"They won't eat it," Itachi said bluntly, "they'll think it's poisoned."

Kira winced. "You know you don't have to be so mean about it."

"I'm not being mean, I'm being honest." The other boy said simply.

Kira stared at him, and his shoulders slumped. "I know; sometimes I forget what that looks like."

"We're going to be ninja, so I suppose we should learn how to start lying better." Itachi said, and almost reluctantly handed Kira one of the remaining skewers.

Kira didn't reply, but he did nod, knowing more than Itachi was aware of how many lies were really going on.

* * *

Minato stopped short in writing his report, and glanced over at the window just before his sensei came in. It hit him once the man climbed in that Kira was not with him. Minato's lips curled. "Where's-"

Jiraiya waved it off. "The pipsqueak is at home, I dropped him off before coming here." He crossed his arms. "Besides, there's some things we need to talk about and I'd rather he not be around to hear."

Minato frowned, setting aside his report, and for now ignoring the Suna scroll that invited him to the Chunin exams. "Like what?"

"Well, for starters, were you aware of Kira being kidnapped when he was like, two?"

Minato stared at him, then scowled as he looked away. "I only became recently aware of it myself; it happened while I was on a recovery mission." He explained, his chest tightening. "How do _you_ know about it?" his eyes narrowed. "I swear, if you and Sarutobi-sama both knew and didn't tell me-"

"Easy, easy, settle down, I didn't know until we were on the way back here." Jiraiya replied, waving his hands for Minato calm down. "The kid said he's beenâ€¦getting memories of the event," Minato straightened up, focusing his attention on the man, "and that he was saved by Ame shinobi."

The blond looked at him suspiciously. "Really?" he asked dubiously, his stomach tightening as he rifled through the desk. He kept the files on hand, just to keep going over them. If this was true, it just raised more questions. He picked up one of the photos, the one with Kira and the orange-haired man smiling. His lips twitched into a frown. "If I showed him some pictures, do you think it would help jog his memory more?"

Jiraiya sighed deeply. "Pictures?"

Minato nodded. "Sarutobi-sama sent out a team to retrieve Kira when he was kidnapped. They trailed the suspects they assumed were the culprits, documenting it." He held out the photo face up. "Here's one of them."

Jiraiya stared at the picture, his dark eyes conflicted. He sighed and then looked Minato in the eye. "I had thought maybe the kid was just misremembering stuff, butâ€¦do you remember when I told you about the three war orphans I had trained for three years?"

Minato furrowed his brow, but then his eyes widened when he stared at the picture again. "Thisâ€¦this is one of them?" The white-haired man nodded. "Why did they have my son then?"

"I guess we won't know unless we can get the pipsqueak to remember more, or get a spirit board." Jiraiya replied.

Minato rubbed his brow, and took back his earlier statement. He _could_ get a headache it seemed. "Just when I think there are finally answers, things just keep getting messier."

"Uh, speaking of messesâ€¦" Jiraiya trailed off, and Minato narrowed his eyes again at the tone. "There was anâ€¦incident while training." The blond shot to his feet, but Jiraiya held up his hands nervously. "It's no big deal, everything worked out fine in the end."

"What. Happened?" Minato asked sternly.

"You see, through no fault of my own, I was tricked with a genjutsu andâ€¦yourekidwaskidnappedbysomeonewhowasabletoremoveyourHiraishinseal."

Minato stared at him, baffled by the nonsense that came out. Then his expression became tranquil, more than aware now of what his sensei said, and he smiled with a strained sense of detached calmness that kept the fury at bay. "Could you repeat that _please,_ _ **Sensei?**_ _"_

* * *

Kira read through his tessenjutsu scroll, noting the new kata he would be learning tomorrow, but also that Yoshi was unlikely to be pleased he so thoroughly went off script. _At least I'll have things to practice,_ he thought, even if one was a fire technique. He nibbled on his onigiri, and under Taji's stern gaze he'd graciously thanked Mikoto for them in return for the food he'd made Itachi.

He froze up when he smelled the scent before the front door opened, and he abandoned the scroll and food at the kitchen table as he ran for the foyer. The door barely closed before Kira launched himself at Minato, who was quick to catch him, bringing him in close as he hugged him tightly. Kira held him just as tight, burying his face into his shoulder as he breathed in the familiar and comforting scent.

Minato stroked his hair, his voice soft. "Glad to see you too. And here I was wondering if you missed me."

"Not funny." Kira muttered. "Of course I missed you." he admonished him.

Minato snickered. "I know, I was just teasing." he nuzzled his head against Kira's. "So, I was told you had quite the trip."

Kira peered up at the blond. "Did he tell you everything?" Minato nodded, and Kira's gaze lowered over the shoulder in shame. "I'm sorry, I wasn't strong enough to dispel being pulled under a genjutsu. I wasn't smart enough to avoid being kidnapped."

"You weren't supposed to be responsible for anything except learning on this trip. And believe me, I let Sensei have it for what happened." Minato said seriously. "Though it might be difficult to talk about, what did this," his lips curled, "Kitsune do to make your Hiraishin seal vanish?"

Kira self-consciously glanced away again. "He did something to call my demonic chakra. I-I thought he was helping me, that he was a nice ANBU, but...I saw my chakra flaring, and it burned away the seal."

Minato nodded. "I suppose it was an oversight on my part not to realize any weaknesses for the seal." he said, and rubbed Kira's back. "What about your other ones? Did he try to tamper with those?"

Kira shook his head. "I think he wanted to be...believable, so he said that seal couldn't come off." he replied. "Are you going to put another Hiraishin seal on me?"

"Yes," Minato answered, "also putting one on Naruto-tan too. Though in your case I'll just have to make it demon proof." his expression lightened as he made his way to the kitchen. "Just let me get a snack, and then you can show me what pictures you took, how's that sound?"

Kira smiled, and once he was set down, he offered the onigiri. "Mikoto-san made these, you can have some."

Minato smiled and ruffled his hair. "Okay." he said and accepted the plate. "Now let's see these pictures." he paused, and looked away for a moment before reaching into his pocket. "Though...can you take a look at this?"

Kira furrowed his brow, but his eyes widened when he saw the photo. It was him, younger with dyed black hair, and...

" _Kagayaki, what's wrong?"_

_Kira's throat hurt, coughing as he spat out the fish. His tongue burned, and the lines of his mouth began to grow an angry red. "Salt-bad, hurts Kira!" he then began hacking, coughing more._

" _Damn it, how could I have been so stupid?" Yahiko asked, while Konan handed Kira a glass of water._

" _Just breath, okay?" she said soothingly. "Do you need anything to get rid of it?"_

" _Healing take hurt away." Kira groaned, gulping down the water._

_Nagato had been quiet, only staring at him before he got up from his spot. He walked out of the room, and Yahiko frowned as he followed._

" _What are you doing?"_

" _If you're so insistent he stay with us," the redhead called back, "then we should have done this sooner and make sure he can't get at anything with salt in it."_

Kira's legs buckled, but he kept himself from collapsing. His hand balled into fists, and gulped. "What is this?"

"Do you know who this is?" Minato asked gently.

Kira stared at the picture of him and Yahiko, physical proof that he wasn't just making it up, proof these people actual _existed_. "Yes."

"Then that's all I need to know." Minato went to slip the picture into his pocket, but Kira caught his hand.

The boy bit his lip. "Can...can I keep it?"

Something like hurt crossed Minato's face before he smiled at him. "Okay, just don't lose it, alright? I might need it back."

Kira nodded, and held the photo close. "I-I'll go put this away and get my other pictures." he said, and scampered to his room. He pulled off his goggles as he set them on the dresser, and slid the photograph onto the cabinet as well. _I'l_ _l need a new frame,_ he thought, and pulled the photos out of the bag he'd tossed onto his bed before rushing back to the living room.

The brunet spent the rest of the evening in bliss, curled up next to his father as Naruto drooled on his shirt, cuddled close as the baby only paid half-attention to the photos Kira had. Minato though listened with rapt attention, though he did grimace when Kira got to the photo of Tsunade sleeping at a desk with a bottle of sake front and center as Shizune tried to sheepishly get it out of sight.

Kira's night was a pleasant haze, leaving him only bewildered the next morning if it was a dream, but his sheets smelled like himself, and the early morning sun peeked through curtains and there was a dresser covered with his precious photos. Kira smiled to himself, and quickly got out of bed. He spent the morning making matcha cake with Taji â€“ who arrived just in time for Minato to leave, which Kira was disappointed to find he hadn't been quick enough to wish him off for work - and spend its baking time getting dressed and wondering if anyone would eat it.

_Darn Itachi, he's got me thinking this is going to fail too,_ Kira thought disgruntled while pulling his goggles onto his hairline. The closer he got to the kitchen, the more he could smell the green tea in the cake, and hoped it tasted as good as it smelled.

After eating breakfast, Kira watched as Taji pulled out a cake from the oven, and let cool long enough to slice equally before boxing it up for him.

"You sure you can carry it by yourself?" she asked.

Kira nodded seriously as he put his bento into his satchel. "Yes."

"Well, have a good day at school then." Taji said and handed him the box. It was still warm.

Kira nodded, and briskly made his way out of the house, and carefully hurried to the Academy. He was struck with the sharp reminder of why he'd been trying to win the respect of his classmates when he felt all the stares. He gulped, but marched in and quickly found Itachi under their tree. "Good morning."

Itachi nodded, his eyes flickering to the box. "That's it, is it?"

"Mhm," Kira shifted the box and opened the top, "it's matcha cake. Want a slice? It just got out of the oven so it's still warm."

Itachi peered at the round cake slices tinted with green. Slowly, he reached in and pulled one out before taking a bite. He didn't say anything about the quality, but the fact he plucked a second slice said enough.

Kira huffed as he pulled the box away. "I said _a_ slice. You'll eat them all before anyone else gets a chance to try it."

"Eww!" Kira flinched, looking up to find several students looking disgusted at Itachi.

"How can you eat that, Itachi-kun?" One of them asked. "It's moldy-looking!"

"It could be poisoned!" Another shouted.

A gasp went up through the group. "It's trying to poison Itachi-kun!"

"Yeah!"

"It really is a monster!"

Kira stared at them, too baffled to feel saddened at the accusations. Did they _honestly_ think that? Had they literally never seen him and Itachi sharing lunches or sitting together?

"That's enough!" he was though surprised when Izumi looked at the group, her childish face set sternly that reminded him why she was an Uchiha. "Does Itachi-kun _look_ poisoned?" she gestured to the dark-haired boy, who seemed to be blatantly ignoring them.

There was mumbling in the group, "He doesn't look hurt," "It could be slow acting," "Maybe it's just cake? "It's _green_ ," "I ate a cake like that once," "Probably trying to trick him."

Izumi slapped her forehead, and marched up to Kira. He could see the nervous looking on her face, the fear in her eyes as she stared at him, but still held out her hand, palm up. "May...I have a cake slice?"

Kira smiled slightly as he nodded. "Sure." he said and handed her a slice.

Izumi took a large bite, pointedly chewing on it in front of the group. She gulped it down once done. "See? Not poisoned."

Kira watched the group leave, still looking dubious and throwing him glares. He sighed, but glanced at Izumi. "T-thank you, for that."

The girl stiffened, tensing nervously. "I-you're welcome." she said, and briskly sprinted inside the school.

Kira though couldn't help sticking his tongue out at Itachi, silly and petty as it was. "See? Someone did like it!"

* * *

Really, Jiraiya could have gone another day without going to see the guest in the basement, just because he expected to hear the hissing chuckle of his old teammate when he saw his face.

"Tell me, did you run afoul during one of your excursions to the hot springs?" The snake-like man asked.

Jiraiya scowled as he rubbed the scratches on his neck. "No, Minato-kun didn't appreciate that I...lost his son during the trip."

"Ah, it's a wonder how he thought to trust you with his safety." Orochimaru said lightly.

The white-haired man rolled his eyes. "Yes, I got an earful as he tried to claw up my face, haven't I suffered enough?"

The other man smirked. "Just a little bit more." he paused, and narrowed his eyes. "Very well; what is it you want?"

"I'm here to talk to Sen." Jiraiya replied. "Let's say it's official business, strictly need to know."

Orochimaru's lips curled. "Of course, then carry on."

The white-haired man walked to the seal covered door, and slipped inside. The blond looked rather listless, but those gray eyes sparked when he was noticed the Sanin. "Do you know who I am?"

"Yes, and since you're here, you know who I am." Sen said, smirking at him. "The Hokage, the Sanin, all this attention for me? Don't I feel special." he grinned, fangs peeking over his lips.

Jiraiya wouldn't be prodded though, he _did_ the pissing off. "Not special enough to be let off your leash apparently."

Sen scowled at briefly. "Well, I was blind to the world, so I was a little naive about what I could do."

"Did you ever have a run in with some cat-minded folks?" Jiraiya asked.

Sen frowned, but sniffed, and he leaned forward as he could with a slowly growing grin once more. "Ahhh, is that a fox I smell?" he chuckled. "Such wretched people those cultists are, just wanting to stifle our freedom as much as a village." he turned up his nose. "It's why I never went with Nibi's cultists when they found me."

Though Sen might not have thought he just tipped his hand, Jiraiya now had a lot more of a headache to give Minato. Well, he did owe the little brat for the scratches.

* * *

Kira blinked as when he waited by the gates, that Tori appeared. He looked up at him. "Uh, hello Tori-san, where's Otou-san?"

"I regret to inform you that Hokage-sama has been detained by a sudden influx of work. He trusts I will make sure you get to your training session unharmed, but he will be there to pick you up." Tori explained.

Kira frowned, but nodded. He tried not to think about it, instead focusing on how while those in his current class didn't want to eat the cake, he'd actually been approached by some of the students who he'd be joining in the third year. His heart still warmed thinking about it, how they were actually pleasant and liked the cake.

The brunet walked down the path, trying to ignore the more heated glares until he got to the training ground. He was more intimidated by how Yoshi only stared down him, completely stone-faced.

"You missed our last session." she said flatly.

Kira gulped. "I was on a training session."

"I'm aware of that," Yoshi said sternly, "what I want to know is what you did on it."

The brunet bit his lip, rubbing his arm as he set his satchel down. "I, well, started learning how to do the water wall, the KaryÅ«dan, and to-" he stopped, wondering if he should continue, but breathed in deep and said, "and how to connect with Kyuubi's chakra."

Yoshi had no reaction to any of it. Instead, she held out her hand, opening her palm to show a leaf. "Hold this leaf for the next thirty minutes."

Kira furrowed his brow, but grabbed the leaf and dropped to cross his legs and held the leaf to his forehead, concentrating on it. He furrowed his brow, channelling his chakra as the leaf was sticking, but didn't get his hopes up.

Things were still, but as the minutes ticked by, Kira felt the strain in his concentration as the chakra was harder to keep focused as the space behind his eyes pounded. He groaned and the leaf fell, to which Kira glanced up at Yoshi.

"15 minutes," she said, her tone unfailingly calm, "can you tell me what that'll give you?"

Kira rubbed his arm. "Good enough control?"

"Good enough will not keep you alive."

The brunet blinked, because it wasn't Yoshi who said it. The voice came from behind him, and he turned around to see an old man with dark hair walking up, hobbling with a cane, and had bandages covered the right side of his face and arm. "Uh, who are you?"

The old man stared down at him, but when he spoke it was pointedly to ignore the question. "I was taking a walk, and I happened to see you're training, Uzumaki-san."

"I guess you know who I am." Kira muttered, but since Yoshi was not alarmed, and Tori hadn't yet appeared, the boy decided to keep his guard up still. "Did you use to be a shinobi then?"

"I know enough that even with your immense chakra reserves, it's useless to have without equally precise control." The man said.

Kira frowned, and glared at the grass. "It's really hard."

"Of course it is." The old man replied. "To be a capable shinobi, one must overcome their shortcomings."

Kira furrowed his brow, and glanced at Yoshi, but she was still watching impassively as she leaned against the training post. He then looked back at the man. "And how am I supposed to do that when everything's against me?"

"You are an Uzumaki," the man said slowly, as though Kira were not aware of this fact, "that clan was renowned for their chakra reserves; do you think they wouldn't have been half as feared if they could not control it?"

Kira blinked, and tilted his head. _Chichi-ue would have had trouble, just like I am_ , Kira thought, his chest tightening. _Like Otou-san might be, perhaps even Mito-sama._ The brunet's expression hardened. "You mean there's a point to this leaf exercise than just a headache?"

"If it's too difficult, perhaps you should give up."

Kira instantly scowled at the man, reaching over and picked up the discarded leaf. "Not a chance, 'ttebaro!" he snapped. Only Itachi was allowed to ridicule him, and Kira despised it even then. "Now go away, old man, you're interrupting my training!"

The old man only stared back at him, his visible eye calm and unnerving. "If you allow your emotions to control you, then what use are you as a shinobi anyway?"

Kira's eyes widened. He was about to question him, but flinched when Tori appeared beside him. The ANBU was polite in excusing them, but Kira didn't understand why the training session was cut short, Tori lifting him up and taking him to Minato. Kira didn't understand why his step-father looked so unnerved by the events, or why he cut the tutoring sessions.

Kira realized he didn't know a lot.


	14. Bad Blood

This was it. Minato resisted pacing in his office, opting to remain composed and in control. He would be going to oversee the Chuunin exam finals, and he needed to appoint someone to watch the village in his stead for the time being. There had been only one logical choice - and it was just for a little while, so he couldn't say how _troublesome_ it was.

Minato frowned to himself though. He had only been able to get one reform made, and it was a small one but seemed to piss a lot of people off. Due to the peacetime, he decreed that the age requirement for entering the Academy would be seven, not six, and no sooner- he did not want there to be children too young to be in the Academy without a real understanding to what they were signing up for. Seven was still too young in his opinion, but at least then the introductory stages of class could be about gently easing into what being a ninja _actually_ entailed.

 _If only it were as simple as what people in the cities see on their movie screens,_ Minato thought. Due to the nature of the hidden villages to remain just that - _hidden,_ they lagged behind the advancement of the more populated areas like cities or the capital. They had at least set up a network to get electricity from using hydro power from the Naka river, but the limits caused them to be self-contained until more could be done to get around it.

His musings were brought to a close when the door to his office opened, and the Jonin commander walked in, hands in his pockets and looking both bored and that he would rather be somewhere else. "You called?"

Minato nodded. "I'm going to need someone to watch the village in my stead while I'm out. And congratulations, I chose you."

Shikaku's face didn't change, but his mouth tightened just a bit. "Oh, and you couldn't have asked Sandaime-sama?"

Minato kept his expression schooled, despite the choice words he could have said about how _that_ reinstatement went. "You can ask for advice, I'm sure." It wasn't an answer, but it was a clear enough _back_ _off_ as he could muster right now. He had a headache still from learning not only were there Kyuubi cultists, but they extended to _all_ nine Bijuu. "Though I don't think I need to say make sure the village is still standing when I get back."

"You just did." Shikaku muttered, and scratched his chin. "And by the village, I assume you mean the very special select few who you will bawl me out for if anything happens to them."

Minato blinked slowly, innocently. "I don't know what you mean; if you believe it though -just imagine how much worse it'll be though if anything _does_ happen." he never lost his easy-going smile, and Shikaku only gave him a withering glare.

"Troublesome blond." And there it was, the trademark Nara words.

Minato's smile widened.

* * *

Since his lessons had been cancelled, Kira felt like everyone was whispering behind his back. Ridiculous and self-centered, but his skin prickled every time they glanced at him, as though waiting for him to leave after lunch and being surprised he still came to afternoon practical lessons. Kira wished not for the first time that Minato would take him and Naruto with him to the Chuunin exams, but the blond had been adamant on not letting them out of the village given everything that happened.

Seeing the security had improved, he was hoping it made the village a little safer.

Kira nearly jumped when the bell rang, signaling the lunch break was over. He packed up his empty onigiri box. Crumbs littered the inside, and he felt a pleasant buzz from the fact a group of students from the third year were interested in being nice to him. Not just polite but _nice_. It made him hope they could get to know each other better than just getting their approval with his mediocre cooking skills.

Kira made his way with Itachi to the back of the school where the training ground was, but furrowed his brow when he saw that there was no target board as usual. Their teacher held his clipboard, and smiled at them.

"What's going on, Funeno-sensei?" One of the students asked.

"We and the other first year class are having a friendly competition to evaluate how much your Taijutsu has grown." Funeno explained.

Kira tensed. A practical test so soon? _I don't know how to fight though,_ he thought worriedly. He knew katas, but actually using them in a fight would be something else. His stomach churned nervously, but saw Itachi looked unaffected as usual, and Kira wished he could be that calm right now.

As if on cue, the other first years were led by their own teacher to the backyard. Overall, some looked nervous, others excited, and some like they just didn't care.

The other teacher called for attention. "It will be a one-on-one match up at random from both classes, so don't be surprised to be facing your own. First one to knock the other out of the ring wins, no serious injuries, understood?" Both teachers consulted the clipboards, choosing two names Kira hadn't heard of before, before both students stepped into the ring.

The standard seal of confrontation was made before the fight by the two, and Kira paid attention their techniques, understanding even with his limited knowledge that it was sloppy. Uncomfortably, Kira realized he was older than everyone in the class, and in a couple months that gap would be bigger. Physically though, he barely stood any taller than them, so would he be allowed to participate still?

Kira glanced up when one of the two was knocked out of the ring. The other student helped them up, making the seal of reconciliation before going off to the side. It continued like that for a little while longer, watching students he didn't know fight other students, before he heard his own name being called.

"Uzumaki Kira, Kamano Saisu." Funeno called.

Kira stepped up to the ring, but his opponent never moved from his spot, who crossed his arms over his chest. "Well?" Kira asked.

Saisu scowled. "He's older and fighting would be unfair." Kira tensed, while Funeno looked wary.

"Only by a year, and he's no different than any other clan child." He replied. "This isn't a real fight, only a way to test yourselves."

"This is a waste of time." Saisu muttered disdainfully.

"Even if you think so, you'll fail the evaluation if you don't try." The other teacher said sternly.

Kira frowned as the other boy grumbled, reluctantly stepping into the ring. They both made the seal of confrontation, and immediately Kira shot forward. He was met with no resistance, staring dumbly as his fist connected with the other boy's cheek, who fell out of the ring. "You-you didn't even try." He whispered.

Saisu rubbed his cheek. "So, I got in the ring." He muttered.

Kira frowned, making the seal of reconciliation, but Saisu ignored it. Kira furrowed his brow, and his stomach twisted when he saw the accusing glares and turned his own glare to the ground, stalking off to the side and let the next combatants into the ring.

This continued on, other students coming and going, but Kira noted with dread that in all his matches- whether they just let him beat them, or took it as their chance to rage at him- none made the reconciliation seal. It was a bit of a contrast to how with each of Itachi's victories that the admiration from others grew, students cheering him on.

A girl from their class named Hana, an Inuzuka likely due to the red markings on her face, was facing an Akimichi also from their class named Maruten, the signifier being the kanji for food on his overalls. It ended in a draw, with Hana tackling Maruten and knocking them both out of the ring, and Izumi faced another girl likely from her own class that ended with Izumi kicking her out of the ring with a regretful look on her face.

The number of students who advanced continued on, dwindling before Kira found himself in the ring, standing across from a student from the other class. Sunglasses, large coat and hood, Kira assumed Aburame, and while they made the sign, Kira kept a look out for any of their insects. After a beat, and realized his opponent wasn't going to move, Kira shot forward.

Despite the Aburame not being known for their taijutsu, Tatsuma was able to dodge the strikes. Kira hadn't yet faced a child from a clan yet, but the difference between clan raised and civilian was stark. Kira felt several stings on his neck and ankle, but ignored it as he did a sweeping kick, with it being dodged yet again.

Kira noticed Tatsuma's chin move down for the briefest movement, a tell that he was looking to his feet - and Kira struck out, slamming his fist into the other student's stomach. The force was enough to knock him out of the ring. Tatsuma landed on his backside, staring at Kira's feet still. Kira offered the seal of reconciliation again, but was unsurprised by how the other boy ignored it as he dusted himself off and walked away.

Sighing, Kira was about to leave, but noticed what was at his feet. His eyes widened before he quickly stepped out of the ring to let the others continue. There was small insect, beetles by the look of it, which were dried up and almost scorched. _Did...did he try to use his kikaichÅ« on me?_ That would have explained the stinging. _Why would he risk it? My chakra is likely a disaster._ It made his stomach twist, and that was when he noticed how the two teachers were looking over the clipboards, talking quietly.

"Should we let it happen?"

"They'll accuse us of special treatment if not."

Funeno nodded, his jovial expression straining. "Uzumaki Kira...Uchiha Itachi."

Kira looked at Itachi, who stared back stonily. There was a tension in the air not theirs, from the rest of the students. Kira felt their disdain, knowing what they probably thought was going to happen. _It is, but not because I'm weak,_ he thought, keeping that in mind as both stepped into the ring. They both formed the seal of confrontation - and ran at the same time.

Kira threw the first punch, which Itachi caught in his palm, slamming his other first into Kira's stomach. Kira felt the punch harder than he thought, and jumped back.

"One." Itachi said, eyeing him critically. Doing the same, Kira slipped into a kata stance. Itachi slipped into his own.

Testing the waters, Kira swiped at him, the strike blocked before Itachi followed up with his own - to which Kira did the same. Kira slammed his other palm into Itachi's chest, shoving him away. "One." Kira said.

There was a fretful murmuring around them, but Itachi only looked at Kira as he nodded. Something between them shifted, more serious as simple practice left them, focused only on the other one and showing what they learned.

Backs straightening, both boys grew rigid as they sized the other up, and then shot towards each other. Kira blocked Itachi's strike, who in turn dodged Kira's sweeping kick. Both jumped back, and before everyone's shocked eyes they began to flash through hand seals.

" _Karyu Endan no Jutsu!"_ _"Gokakyou no Jutsu!"_

Before the seals finished, both instructors came in between the two boys, halting the progress in its tracks. The air was thick with tension as the two teachers were looking sternly down at them.

"This was a simple taijutsu demonstration, no ninjutsu." Funeno said. "It's impressive to know, but unacceptable. Now go clear your heads." he added, and both boys walked off.

Kira looked at Itachi sheepishly, adjusting his goggles. "Sorry, got a little ahead of myself."

Itachi was quiet for a moment, but nodded. "Yes, we took it rather far." he paused, and Kira blinked as Itachi held out his hand.

Kira slowly smiled when he saw that it was the seal of reconciliation. He formed the same one, and crossed their fingers to complete it.

When school was over, Kira shook his head as students crowded Itachi to congratulate him on the evaluation, even before the results came in. Kira blinked as he found the group of students from third he had been getting to know wave him over.

"Hey, we know your dad is going to be gone, and that must suck, so do you want to hang out during off day this week?" One asked smiling.

Kira blinked again, but nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that. The first day or the second?"

"The first." Another answered. "And, well, it's kinda weird for you to bring your ANBU along. I don't think we want to be constantly under threat."

Kira shook his head. "It's not a problem, he only shows up when I'm in trouble, so things will be fine." he didn't want to freak them out though, so he wondered what he could do to give him the slip. Tori didn't follow him into school, but he would know something was up if Kira never left it. "Though...I'll try."

Another student smiled. "Great, and bring more of those terrific onigiri."

Kira's felt a warm flush inside of him, heating his cheeks. "A-alright, 'ttebaro." he waved at them as he made for the exit, but sidestepped when the door opened. He stopped, looking up at someone he hadn't expected to see. "Yoshi-sen-ah, san? What are you doing here?"

She stared neutrally down at him. "I am here to acquire another student to tutor."

Kira nodded, and felt a bit odd seeing her after going without the afternoon sessions anymore. Which Minato still had yet to give any adequate explanation for why he cut them. "So...I know you don't have to help me but...do you know a jutsu that could help me be in two places at once? For-uh-training."

"You cannot check the library yourself?" Kira looked down, while Yoshi remained stone-faced. "I see." she said quietly, and paused for a moment, her eyes giving a quick flicker around the hall. "The kage bunshin. It can be used to create a solid clone that when dispersed, you receive their memories - useful for training."

Kira nodded. "Where can I get a copy of the scroll for it?"

"Pay attention." Yoshi made the seal for it, and Kira copied her, memorizing the action to test later. "And though I am not your teacher, how is your tessenjutsu?"

Kira bit his lip, shrugging. "I've been practicing with paper fans, but Otou-san thinks I'm not ready to try any nature transformation - but I finally got the leaf to stay on my forehead for thirty minutes!"

Yoshi only looked at him. "It can be improved, and though I told you to go at a slow progress, there is nothing to stop you from merely absorbing information about your wind chakra."

"Right." Kira rubbed his arm. "Otou-san is leaving tonight though, and I don't know anyone who has a primary wind nature."

Yoshi tilted her head. "I do, if you're interested in pursuing this."

Kira blinked, but his expression hardened. "I am."

* * *

Minato made sure all the paperwork for Shikaku's immediate attention was set to the side for him to look over, and he packed his official robes for the trip. He sighed, frowning as he made his way home, opting to walk than teleport to clear his head. Kira hadn't been happy to be left behind, but he knew the reason behind it. Had it been earlier in the month they were going, before all these recent events, he would have taken his kids with him.

Not now, given what _has_ happened. It didn't help that in thinking of where Kushina was buried, it always made him think of what was going on with Sasori. Obviously, the ninja had ditched Suna, but the timing of when he did was key. Hell, just if he had _orders_ was something Minato couldn't discount. And he was going there not only to dictate which of his genin got to advance, but also to poke the metaphorical hornet's nest with inquiring about the rogue ninja.

Kakashi though was going with him, the teen wouldn't stand for less. Minato wanted Kakashi and Kira to talk about the obvious discomfort of the overheard insult, but the blond had never been one to interfere with the affairs of others, for better or worse in hindsight - and he saw it was worse. Minato rubbed his brow; he could handle village affairs, but dealing with personal matters was always harder. Even in their relationship, Kushina always taken the lead and both he and Sachiko had followed.

Going back home, Minato found everyone already eating in the kitchen. Well, Taji and Kira were, Naruto was more interested in his hands from his high chair. When Naruto spotted Minato, he gurgled and held out his hands. The blond smiled and cuddled his son, ruffling Kira's hair before he sat down at the table.

"Smells good." he said looking to the plate of special made nikuman in front of him. His eyes glanced to the counter, where a bowl of anmitsu was in a container. "Only one?"

Kira flushed. "It's for someone at school."

Minato stared at him, and asked slowly, "Really? Who?"

Kira looked down. "An Aburame; I accidentally killed their kikaichu with my chakra during our evaluation at school."

Minato couldn't help with being relieved it wasn't another Shisui thing. Which still left him feeling morbid at relief for the alternative explanation. "Just don't start a fight."

Kira nodded, smiling slightly. "Okay. I hope you have a nice trip." Minato nodded, but tensed when the boy continued, "If you see Shisui-san, can you tell him I wished him luck?"

Taji looked at her plate, stifling her smile as Minato nodded even as he kept his face schooled. "Yes, if I see him."

Kira nodded again, smiling softly as he looked down at his plate. "Alright."

* * *

It was an unsettling knowledge, to go out, and know that when they got back home, Minato would have already left. Kira and Naruto already said-well, Kira said, Naruto just gurgled - their goodbyes to the blond, who thought it would be better to leave while they were out. Kira was already used Minato leaving abruptly, and he just needed to imagine it was the same as every morning.

This could be a short trip, depending on whether they were allowed into the compound at all. The box of anmitsu felt heavy in Kira's arms, and the walk there too longer than despite how in actuality it was only a twenty or so minute stroll around the corner.

Kira sighed as he looked up at the doors that were closed. He hesitantly knocked at on the polished wood, the stone walls high and impossible to see over, so he had to rely on his hearing to pick up anything. He heard no steps, but blinked as he noticed an insect buzzing around the overhead, the insect going back into the compound.

"Well, I think they know we're here now." Taji said. Kira wasn't surprised that she knew the significance of bugs around this compound.

Soon enough, the door opened, a person with the same dark sunglasses and large coat stepping out to see them. "Yes?"

Kira bit his lip, but held up his box. "I came to offer this as an apology to Tatsuma-san; during our taijutsu evaluation during class, some of his kikaichu died trying to drain my chakra."

Covered eyes looked down at him, expression neutral. "And you're apologizing for it?"

Kira nodded. Even if it came across as strange, he wanted to emphasize that he wasn't a threat. "Yes. I...I understand if I can't come in, but please see he gets this, Aburame-san." he held out the box further to the man, looking down to avoid the stare.

"Wait here." The man said, slipping back into the compound.

Kira and Taji looked at each other, but she only shrugged. Kira sighed, but took the time to ask something on his mind. "Taji-san, I was invited to hang out with some students in third year, can I go tomorrow?"

Taji raised a brow, but used her free hand to rub her brow. "Long as you take your guard."

Kira only nodded. "Though I'm going to go to the library first." he said, but Taji's response was cut off as the door opened again, another man in dark sunglasses with a tassel dangling from one side of it, and wearing a high-collared coat, though with him was a familiar child.

"You brought that for me?" Tatsuma asked quietly, and Kira nodded. "And you're apologizing even though I was at fault?"

Kira blinked, feeling like he was missing something, but held out the box than agree or disagree. "You are not an enemy; I should have said something about my chakra being too, uh, strange." It was an awkward way to put it, but he didn't think anyone missed that he avoided saying 'dangerous'.

Tatsuma stared at him a moment longer, before slowly reaching out and accepted the box. He peered inside, and glanced at Kira. "Anmitsu?"

Kira nodded. "I-I wasn't sure what to make and I figured everyone like desserts?" he bit his lip, expression sheepish.

"Thank you." The younger boy said quietly. Kira nodded, but before he could leave, the older man looked at Taji.

"You all must be parched from your trip; would you care to come in for tea?" he asked in an even tone.

Taji raised a brow, but glanced down a wide-eyed Naruto leaning against her. "Hmm, I suppose we could rest before going back." She mused, before nodding. "Very well, Aburame-sama, we accept."

Kira blinked at the honorific, before he started to realize who the man was. He bowed to him. "Thank you for the invitation, but I don't wish to be a-ah-disturbance."

"Our kikaichu are not animals, as I am sure is what you're thinking of." The man replied evenly, and Kira couldn't help looking surprised. "Dogs are the ones who don't like foxes, and your presence is only a danger if our insects try to take your chakra."

Kira blinked, but nodded. That had been pretty much what his problem had been. _Well, if he's sure then..._ Kira nodded again. "Okay." He said softly.

And the group was lead into the compound. Kira had no preconceived notions about what was inside, but was a little disappointed it looked so ordinary. Clear lawn, patio leading up to the porch and a sloping roof supported by wooden beams. When they got inside the house, Kira took back his statement upon seeing the winding halls that spread out from the main foyer.

The room they stopped in was a wide room that looked like a cross between a dining room and an open cabin. Beams held up the roof, but instead of walls it was open aired. And near the end of the table a woman sat, long hair held back as she held an infant with dark hair.

Taji made an odd humming sound, looking between the woman and the man, then glanced at Naruto. "What a happy coincidence," she drawled, "I'm sure Naruto-chan would be excited to meet your son."

Kira furrowed his brow at why she was saying that, but she walked over to the table end regardless, and Naruto immediately looked to the other baby with open curiosity. The man followed Taji to the table, sitting down rather stiffly.

Kira's attention was taken as Tatsuma sat down at the back end of the table far away from the others. "Uh, did dinner just get done or something?"

"Yes." Tatsuma said flatly.

Kira sighed, and slipped into the chair. "Also, I apologize for striking you so hard in your stomach."

"It was an evaluation." The other boy replied. "And both you and Uchiha-san did well. It was surprising that our Senseis let you and he fight, even as a spar."

Kira furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

Tatsuma paused, and looked at the man, who stared steadily back, before Tatsuma shook his head. "It's not important, only that I shouldn't have sent my kikaichu after you."

Kira blinked. Even he found that to be a weird change in subject. "Oh." He murmured. "But...hadn't you known that would happen?"

"I underestimated how strong your chakra was." Tatsuma replied.

Kira knew it wasn't strength of it so much as the _inhumanness_ of it. He blinked again when the other boy held out his hands though, fingers in the seal of reconciliation. "What?"

"It's as you said, we are not enemies."

Kira stared at him for a moment, but then smiled slightly as he nodded, hands formed into the seal. He reached forward, a little hesitant as he heard a buzzing picked up. Tatsuma squared his shoulders, brow furrowed only a little. Kira reached out, letting their fingers cross for a long moment before pulling back. "Right." He said, and glanced over when he saw Naruto trying to pull the hair of the other infant. "So, who is that?"

"Shino, he is Shibi-sama's." Tatsuma replied.

Kira nodded, but paused. He narrowed his eyes when he thought over Taji's words again. His shoulders slumped briefly, and swept away any beginnings of doubt. _As long as Naruto-chan can get a friend, it doesn't matter if I was used to do it._

* * *

Minato hadn't been sure who him leaving early was really for; himself or his kids. Despite how he knew Kira adored him and Naruto beamed every time he saw him, Minato wouldn't deny the thought of saying goodbye for _days_ on end until the exams were over was daunting. It had been hard enough to let Kira go and that didn't work out too well. Minato sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose.

It had already been a few hours since he and his envoys had left, his bodyguards and Kakashi following as they jumped from tree to tree, agreeing to not stop until they reached the checkpoint for a rest, and made to change once they reached Kaze no Kuni's border. He glanced back, seeing that while most looked serious and stern, Iwashi's eyes were glinting with excitement to be on 'real' guard duty.

Minato didn't bring many ninja for his retinue, as he left the majority behind to make sure the village would be secure - or remain secure at the very least. _If in-fighting doesn't break out._ The blond grimaced; oh, he knew that no one would be thrilled he had left Shikaku in charge, but the man was implacable enough to brush off the criticisms and keep order until Minato returned.

That's what mattered, or what he told himself. Honestly, if Minato was sure he wouldn't get intrusive questions, he'd have left a shadow clone indefinitely to look after the village while he was gone. There would be too many questions of _why_ it didn't dispel after a while though.

And right now Minato would need all his concentration to work on getting his control back to top form. Chakra had never been an issue, but he considered it a personal failing if he didn't have enough grasp on his control to even form his own original technique.

 _At least I can spend the better of the night in the privacy of my own room,_ Minato thought sardonically as the checkpoint was in sight, and where he and his retinue would be staying the night.

And then they'd be in Sunagakure, where Minato would be watching his village's batch of genin to see who'd make chuunin.

* * *

Breathing calmly, Kira bit his lip as he focused on his seal. _Here goes nothing._ He let out a shaky breath. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he whispered harshly. A puff of smoke appeared, and two other clones in his likeness poofed into existence. The brunet inspected them, blinking as he took in every detail. "This is so cool." He murmured, eyes wide.

"So, what do you want us to do?" One of the clones asked.

Kira poked the first in the shoulder, blinking. "Hmm? Oh, right!" he snapped to attention, and straightened up. "Clone One, you lead Tori-san away and go train with Itachi-san. Clone Two, I need you to scope out the Konoha Library and find me any books on tessenjutsu."

They both nodded, and Kira and Clone Two lagged behind as the first one left the building and Kira counted down until he was sure they were far enough away before sending the second clone out. Kira bit his lip, and when he walked into the courtyard, he looked around for the group of third years.

One of them waved over, and Kira's stomach tied into knots as he hurried up to them. "Thought you weren't going to make it."

Kira smiled, a bit strained and unsure. "Of course I would have!" He was in no position to pass up getting along with his future classmates. "We're all going to be in the same year after all!"

"Didn't you start late though?" Another asked.

Kira nodded. "Yeah, but Otou-san said if I did my best in first year I could move to my right age group next year." He said, and the group exchanged furtive glances.

"Oh, I see." One said quietly.

The ringleader spoke up quickly. "Lets stop wasting time and go have some fun!" He got smiles all around, and he looked at Kira with a grin. "Try to keep up, okay? Don't get lost!"

Kira blinked, but didn't have time to process it as the group went sprinting into the village. "Hey, wait up!" he called, and ran after them. He still felt a smile on his face though, and hoped he could win over more of his classmates. _They're finally seeing me, not what they think I am._

Kira could overlook the dirty looks thrown his way by the villagers, only focused on keeping up with the group as they ran into an old building. He looked around inside, their scents still there. "Are we playing hide and seek?" he called, and his ears perked as he heard the door to another room close.

"Where are you all?" Kira asked, and hurried up to the door. He smiled wider, and counted down as he heard the rustling on the other side. _One, two -_ "Got ya-ack!" When he jumped into the room, all he saw was orange. He gasped, choking as orange gave way to steal and gagged on the disgusting liquid in his mouth.

Kira found it was a bucket on his head, and he threw it to the ground, his eyes widening as he saw orange paint covering his hands, his body. His chest tightened, as in a moment he coughed as fur was thrown at him. He covered his face as it stuck to his clothes and skin. Kira's fear exploded when he found the tiny white grains, and a scream tore from his throat as pain scorched along his skin.

Kira tried to run, but he was tackled to the ground, and struggled as he was pinned down and screamed harder as he felt nine long orange streamers pinned into his pants, pinching his skin before long rabbit ears painted orange were shoved onto his head. Kira's struggling increased as he realized what they were doing - and fear choked him up as the ringleader grinned as he shoved a fox mask onto Kira's face, a wetness seeping onto his skin.

"Let me go!" Kira choked out, and he was relieved to be released, but horror tore through him as along with the searing pain, his face hurt as he couldn't rip the mask off - it was _glued on_. "Whywhywhy!?" he screamed, and tears pricked at his eyes.

All he got from everyone was cold looks. "Why would we want to be friends with a killer?"

Kira's eyes widened, and he choked up further, coughing as his skin burned more, aching and his bones began to ache and strain. He broke for the door, coughing harder as he stumbled. He almost ran back inside when he realized how quiet things were on the street.

"The demon is mocking us!" Someone screamed, and Kira shrieked as from behind him he felt a rock pelt his back.

"How dare you, wretched monster!"

Kira tried shielding himself, but his vision blurred with tears as his heart pounded in his chest. "No." he hacked out, but no one heard him as rocks and food pelted him one after the other. Terror and pain, panic seized him as he ran Ã¢â‚¬â€œ never stopping even after he no longer felt the suffocating hatred and anger choking him as much as the pain ripping through him.

His vision was hazy as tears streamed from his eyes, staining his cheeks and mixing with the glue. The mask still didn't feel looser. Kira yelped as a vision of Itachi frowning at him as he fell forward, even though in the vision he went back. He landed on his front, eyes wide as he realized that shadow clone with Itachi had dispersed.

Kira's fists clenched the grass, still wet paint splattering onto the ground, dotting the green with orange. He slammed his fist onto the ground, his body wracking as he struggled to crawl to the river. His breathing labored as the red and bruise-like blotches continued to spread over his hands and arms and neck and knees. His stomach twisted, cramping as his throat tightened.

Reaching the river, Kira shoved his hands in, the salt managed to get washed away. Orange paint still stained his arms. He carefully shifted, shoving his legs into the water and getting rid of the salt there as well. Kira gripped the mask, but flinched as his face hurt. A sharp gasp made him stop, freezing as he looked over and saw Izumi standing there.

She stared back, dark eyes wide as she stepped back. Kira looked back down, his reflection only making him cringe. With the mask, ears, paint and streamers, he really must have looked like a fox -like _that_ fox. His eyes squeezed shut, fists clenching as he braced for the spew she was going shout at him too.

The instant the grass crumpled so close to him, Kira flinched as Izumi had sat down beside him. "W-what are you doing?" he asked warily.

Izumi looked uncomfortable. "I don't know." She mumbled, glancing away. "Do you want help getting that stuff off?"

Kira stared at her, his eyes narrowing, but he nodded in defeat. _I can't get this stupid mask off by myself._ "Okay."

While Kira managed to get the ears off, and even some clumps of fur on him off, most was too ingrained in the dried paint, his clothes probably ruined and he'd likely have cut his hair if the paint didn't come out of it.

Izumi got the last of the streamers off, and looked at his blotched skin. "Can...can you walk? Or does it hurt to move?"

Kira glanced at her, his face aching from tugging on the mask. He growled as his fists clenched. "Yes, I still feel drained, but I'd feel just barely safer with this mask off."

Izumi grimaced, looking uncomfortable. "Y-yeah." She muttered, but straightened up, her shoulders squared. "Maybe if I pulled the mask and you just pulled back it'd come off?"

At this point Kira was willing to try anything. "Why not." He said, and he stopped himself from flinching when the girl's hands clutched the edge of the mask. They both tugged in the opposite directions. The mask didn't budge, it only felt tighter. "Okay, okay, stop!" he shooed her off, and wished he could rub his face. "I have to get home, I need Taji-san to get this off."

"Are you sure? Hokage-sama's house is in the village and if you go there..." Izumi trailed off.

Kira paused, and not just because his muscles were straining. Minutely, he could feel the aches dull just a little, but the prolonged contact was taking its toll. More important, he realized that while Izumi was right, he could see no alternative. "I don't even know where I am, and right now home is the only thing on my mind."

"You're by the outskirts of the village. I was on my way home when I saw you running by." Izumi admitted.

Kira sighed heavily, feeling a little strange by the admission. "You mean: you saw it was me, dressed like _this_ and you still came to see what was wrong?" he asked quietly.

Izumi tensed up, her lips pressed tightly into a line. "Well I'm not heartless!" she shouted. "I saw you lying there and you looked - "

"Pathetic? Weak?" Kira asked bitterly.

"- _scared_." Izumi said. "And you...couldn't be so bad if -if you were scared." She waved her arms, her expression uncertain and strained. "I just couldn't leave you here - it wouldn't be right!"

 _She's here because...she feels sorry for me?_ Kira tilted his head, frowning, but shook his head. No, that wasn't right. It wasn't pity, but what was it? His muscles ached, reminding him to get out of here. And Izumi chose to continue speaking, as though not noticing his significant pause.

"S-So we're going to the Uchiha compound and you're getting that mask off!" she yelled. Kira just stared at her, and tensed up as she hefted him onto his feet. "So let's go!"

He noticed her shaking shoulders, the twitchy expression. Kira realized she was still nervous, but she was also doing this to help. _Alright, one more time I'll be stupid to trust someone._ The fox growled in the back of his mind, a clear sneering in its voice, but Kira tried to ignore it. "Yeah, let's go."

As Kira reluctantly leaned against Izumi for balance, he froze up. On the other side of the river, was a red fox, with light blue eyes. It stared right back at him, and Kira flinched.

"Uh, what's wrong? Is something straining?" Izumi asked, looking about as happy to be half-carrying him as Kira was.

The brunet shook his head, unease coursing through him. "No, l-let's get out of here." He said, and tried a little harder to pick up the pace.

* * *

Taji cooed at Naruto, who gurgled just long enough for her to give him a spoonful of baby food. He still drank formula, because he was a picky little thing. Cute and so happy though, and it warmed her heart. The night the Kyuubi attacked caused so much loss, but here was a tangible piece that something good had come from it -even if there was still much no one knew.

Finishing up feeding Naruto, Taji washed out the glass container, and set about burping him. He rested against her shoulder, mumbling gibberish as he teethed on the blanket. She sighed softly. Taji was only meant to stay the nurse to both Naruto and Kira for a year, and then she'd be back on duty for missions.

She'd grown close to the children, despite trying to be professional, but that had never been an option, not when she'd be the first thing the children saw in the morning, helping with breakfast and keeping an eye on them to the best of her training. Taji hadn't been the only one, not when Tori-san so freely gave Kira that title.

Taji smiled briefly when Naruto burped finally, and wiped his mouth before taking him to set him down to rest in his pen in the living room. Toys littered the floor, blocks and stuffed animals. Taji handed him the frog, which Naruto immediately began gnawing on, giggling.

Setting the infant back onto his blankets, she set about cleaning up the rest of the toys. The door opened, and Taji didn't glance up. Her eyes were locked on her task, continuing to move about the room even as Naruto got too silent. Taji furrowed her brow, but her eyes widened and clenched her fists, the pain of her nails gouging her palms as her other reached for the kunai hidden by her ankle.

Spinning around, Taji narrowed in on the target holding a squalling Naruto, throwing her kunai at the intruder's head. Another intruder blocked it, knocking it to the side and the knife sunk into the wall. Taji only saw a flash of eyes filled with red, a dark iris, and only a glowing rectangular white line in both, before a wall of fire appeared in front of Taji.

The brunette prepared a water jutsu, only to realize too late - the fire had been an illusion, so strong it had thrown her off balance.

And the intruders gone, Naruto was gone. Taji coughed, her wide eyes going down to her stomach, where a kunai stuck into her flesh, a pool staining her shirt. Taji spat up a glob of blood, but pulled the kunai from her. Pain erupted, but Taji shoved through it, unwilling to fall - she forced herself to get to the emergency trigger.

The world spun, but Taji lunged for the seal, slamming her bloody hand against it. It glowed briefly, and she knew it had worked -had to believe it worked. If not, no, she didn't even want to think of it.

Taji collapsed against the wall, and coughed. More than a wound, the kunai had been poisoned. She gritted her teeth, and that's how the ANBU found her. Bandaging her wound, spitting blood to test, and forced herself to explain about the intruders - and to get going, or Minato would have all their heads for this.


End file.
